Title: Heaven

Pairings: Faberrittana.

Summary: When they were children, it used to be Q, R, S and B. Now that they are in high school, it became the The Unholy Trinity and Rachel Berry. Rachel, feeling abandoned by her best friends, tried to move on with a positive outlook. Fed up with the guilt and the ache of missing Rachel, The Unholy Trinity finally decided to mend their broken friendship with the girl. Separated by their differences, will they be able to get back to how they used to be?

Chapter 1

Rachel walked the halls of McKinley with her head high, a wide smile on her lips. It was the first day of her Junior year and for some reason, she has a good feeling that this year would be interesting. She still didn't have many friends but at least some of the Glee kids had warmed up to her. That's good enough. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

She reached her locker and fumbled on the code. Opening it, she sighed as she stared at the pictures plastered inside, a faraway look in her eyes as she reminisced the story behind every image.

There were pictures of her and her dads, her idols in Broadway and members of the glee club. Her eyes darted at one particular picture that would always make her question why she was still keeping it in her locker. It was a photo of two blondes and a brunette, looking fierce and attractive and oh so intimidating as they pose for the camera with their red and white cheerleading uniform. The Unholy Trinity. They are the top three in Sue Sylvester's nationally ranked cheering squad, the Cheerios. They are the only ones that managed to climb on top of the pyramid, both figuratively and literally, as early as middle of freshman year in history of McKinley. It was no surprise that by the end of the school year, their status had shoot up all the way to the top of the social hierarchy. They were feared, respected and worshipped.

Also, they made every day of her high school life a living hell. Did she mention every.single.day?

Yet, here she was staring at one picture, and then another, and then another. She practically filled half of her locker with their images. She pursed her lips. In her mind, she can see herself ripping the pictures apart and throwing it in the nearest garbage can. She should. It's the most logical thing to do after all.

Like how she should also stop staying a little late after school, hiding behind the bleachers to watch the girls practice under the pretense of reading a book or doing her homework.

Or discreetly stare at them for too long (it's borderline creepy) as they grace the halls of McKinley with their presence.

Even the stolen glances whenever they shared a class together. Sitting at the back just to get a good view of them isn't beneficial for her learning anyway.

She should put all of those to a halt. Really. Her insane obsession with these people was just ridiculous. They did ruin high school for her.

Buried in the deepest non-logical part of her brain though was the question she has been asking herself for almost two year.

How did they end up this way?

Rachel's thoughts were interrupted as the hallway went silent. She felt her heart skipped a beat in anticipation as the crowd parted to give way to a group of Cheerios, led by the Unholy Trinity.

As usual, she found herself staring at the three girls on the middle.

Quinn, now the captain of the Cheerios, walked on the middle of the group. Her best friends, Santana and Brittany, on either side of her. Quinn was wearing her infamous HBIC look that would make even the jocks scamper away with just a glance. Santana had her usual scowl on her face, while Brittany looked as cheerful as always.

"What are you looking at, RuPaul?"

Rachel flinched. Okay. So discreet was not something she's good at. It was one of her flaws. What happened to not staring, anyway? What happened to not staring?

Quinn sneered as they passed by while Santana simply ignored her. Brittany, however, turned to give Rachel a small smile.

Rachel politely smiled back. Brittany was never really mean to her. She's certain that the tall blonde was not capable of hurting anyone. At least not physically. She smiled at Rachel every time, no matter how quick or subtle it was. Though the small gesture never fails to warm her heart, she can't help but acknowledge the fact that Brittany never did anything to defend her either.

Nobody would probably believe her. The trio may even deny it but there was a time when they used to be good friends. Best of friends. The closest she'll ever have, bonded by their shared imperfections. They were so close it was as if an invisible string tied their hearts together. The absence of one affects them all.

Rachel can vividly remember a promise they made to always stick together no matter what.

A promise broken by inconsequential things that won't even matter ten years from now.

Popularity. Reputation. Power. Being on top.

All of those had greatly affected their friendship. While Rachel preferred to have the average high school life, Quinn, Santana and even Brittany would have none of that. As soon as they hit puberty, the three had changed gradually. They became conscious and obsessed with their physical appearance. The imperfections that had lead them to be friends in the first place had disappeared and Rachel watched silently as they slowly transformed to someone she could barely recognize. There was no room for flaws anymore.

Rachel tried to ignore it at first. After all, they were growing up. It was practically normal for them to be conscious. However, as high school drew nearer, she noticed the changes in the girls' behavior as well.

Brittany, though still as sweet and innocent, had somehow developed a mischievous and yet almost playful glint in her eyes. It was actually scary because you can never tell what's going on in her mind. Santana had been more vicious than usual and maybe a little violent than necessary. She never had problems with the Latina's attitude though. The tall brunette had always been protective of her friends. As for Quinn, well, she was the one who changed the most. From the chubby, insecure and warm-hearted Lucy, she transformed to sexy and confident Ice Quinn.

They craved for power. They were, after all, daughters of the powerful and known families in Lima. They were born to lead. Intimidating and bringing people down were expected of them.

As for Rachel? Well, she was where she belonged. She was living her dream - to sing her heart out with people who shared the same passion for music. She found it in Glee club.

"Glee club? Are you kidding me?" Santana scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

The four of them gathered in Quinn's room. Santana and Brittany were comfortably lying on Quinn's bed while Quinn was sitting on a sofa, a frown on her face. Rachel was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed over her chest as she defended her newly found club.

The first week of high school had gone by uneventful. Quinn, Santana and Brittany made it to the school's cheering squad like Rachel expected and she could never be more proud.

"What's wrong with Glee?"

"It's social suicide, Rae." Brittany stated as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Rachel rolled her eyes, "I do not understand why it has to be about that. Glee is a place filled with people who are very talented, though not as talented as I am, and simply wanted to express themselves through music with hopes that they will someday inspire other peo-"

"Save it, Rach. We know what Glee club is. It's already painful hearing its name. We're not really looking forward to hear you rant about it," Santana interrupted with a playful smirk. She knew how much the small brunette hated being interrupted. Her face softened though. Rachel had always loved singing and being on stage.

Rachel huffed, sticking her tongue out at her brunette friend.

"Why don't you just join the Cheerios instead? We could all be together!" Brittany said in excitement.

Rachel frowned. "Brit, I really hope you're joking."

Brittany only gave her a blank expression. Santana looked thoughtful. Quinn was yet to make a comment.

"Actually, I think it's a good idea," Santana agreed as she smiled at the tall blonde and looked at Rachel expectantly. "You get a chance to see naked cheerleaders while we shower."

"Santana! That is highly inappropriate!" Rachel exclaimed as she stared at her friend wide-eyed.

Just a few months ago, she had come to terms that she was in fact, gay. Having two gay dads had somehow opened her eyes early regarding sexuality in general. Despite that, coming out to her family and best friends was the second scariest, most nerve-wracking experience that a 15 year old like herself should not have to endure.

The first one was the life-altering, never-saw-it-coming realization that she was, in fact, very attracted to her best friends. They didn't need to know that though. She was already more than fortunate that they had easily accepted her, no questions asked. No need to scare them away with her little infatuation.

"Though I am flattered that you even consider that I may be qualified to join the squad, I will have to dismiss that idea," Rachel continued, "I know I am a great dancer but I believe that it is of a greater advantage to me if I focus more on my strength, not that dancing isn't one of them, but singing and being on stage and performing is who I am. And being in Glee club will, in no doubt, help me hone my skills which will be beneficial once I apply for college in the near future, as well as preparation on my way to stardom."

Once Rachel finished rambling, Santana was fighting back a grin while Brittany giggled, earning a glare from Rachel. Quinn had her eyebrow raised, a small smile on her lips.

They had always found it amusing when the small girl rambles to make a point. Although they were against Glee, they were happy for Rachel. At least she had found a place where she can be herself.

"We won't settle to mediocrity, Rachel. It's not an option. You do understand, right?"

Those were Quinn's last words to her before things fell apart between them. Actually, the trio's friendship remained intact. While Rachel...well...she slipped away. Although if people would look closer, it was her who was left behind.

Ever since they were little, she knew she was different from them. She grew up on an average household. They are not poor, per se. It was just not like the luxurious lifestyle that her three friends have.

Their friendship ended the moment the flavored frozen drink hit her face during the beginning of freshman year.

Laughter echoed throughout the hallway as she looked up to see her closest friends, each holding an empty cup of Gulp. While she stood there in utter shock, her friends wore different expressions. Quinn's was blank, but her eyes were swirling with emotions. There was remorse in them. Santana kept her eyes down as she turned and walked away as fast as she could. Brittany dropped her empty cup, her hands still shaking. Rachel could see the blonde's eyes shining with unshed tears. They were now wearing the red, black and white uniform that everybody respected. They were now part of the Cheerios. They had begun their way towards the top and nothing can stop them. Even if it meant losing a dear friend.

"A message from Stacey, freak," Quinn spoke the last word with coldness that could freeze the whole room. With that, she dragged the still shaking Brittany and walked off towards the direction Santana went.

Rachel was left on the hallways of McKinley, laughter echoing around her. She felt her body shiver as the cold syrup dripped all over her face and clothes. She wasn't sure if it was from the cold beverage that was now covering her body, or the coldness from Quinn's words. Maybe both.

Rachel saw the real them before popularity changed them. She always believed that no matter what they did to her, they were still that same people who had treated her fairly without judgment and accepted her for who she was. Rachel would look at their eyes, and she knew, they were still her best friends...just…hiding somewhere.

For every insulting words, for every slushie and bullying that she tormented every day, she would end her day with forgiveness even if they didn't ask for it. They had that effect on her. She just couldn't let go of all the years they shared together.

That's what she always told herself whenever the bitterness and the pain of being abandoned consumed her whole being. Rachel couldn't despised them for what they became, but she will always bear the pain of losing the most important people in her life.

Rache didn't stop hoping, believing, that someday, they will come back to her.

Rachel watched as the trio stopped by their lockers. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Karofsky and Azimio walking towards her, each holding a slushie.

"Stop your ogling, dyke!" Karofsky said as he threw his slushie, followed by Azimio.

Damn. She really needed to work on her subtleness.

Rachel gasped as she felt the ice-cold corn syrup made contact to her face. She unconsciously licked her lips (cherry and grape) and took a deep breath as she wiped the flavored liquid from her eyes. Laughter rang throughout the hallway but being in that situation for two years, she was more of annoyed than humiliated.

Neanderthals. When will they stop this childishness and just grow up? She knew it would be easy for her to just punch their throats. However, she refused to stoop down to their level and she did promise her dads that she would stay out of trouble.

Her fathers (it was only her dad, Leroy, actually) taught her self-defense and even let her participate in a little bit of kickboxing. There was a bit of arguing,

'That's violence!' Her Daddy, Hiram, argued.

'It's therapy, isn't it, baby girl?'

But at the end of the day, her safety and well-being come first. Being in a small town filled with narrow-minded bigots was not a safe haven for her.

Also, she was their spoiled little princess and they would do anything to make her happy.

So that became her outlet, a way to release all her pent up frustrations and anger without the need to divulge her innermost thoughts to a complete stranger. She would simply imagine that she was punching one of her bullies senseless and it never failed to make her feel better despite of the bruises she got from it. It was always worth the pain.

And way, way, way better than talking to a shrink.

With a huff, she turned back to her locker. She spent a split second to gaze at the pictures once again. Looks like those pictures would be staying in her locker. She still couldn't find the strength to rip them out despite the colored ice dripping down her face. She's keeping the pictures. For now.

She took her Slushie kit and closed her locker with a loud bang. This was getting really tiresome. Why does it have to be red and purple? Those stains were the most difficult to remove.

As Rachel ran towards the girl's locker room, three pairs of eyes watched her until she disappeared around the corner.

"Q, I thought we talked about this. Since it's too suspicious to suddenly call off the taunting and slushie facials from the other popular kids, the least we can do is to stop insulting her," Brittany said, frowning at her friend's behavior. They had discussed over the summer how they could salvage their former friend from the torments of high school, which, as much as it pained them to admit it, they also participated in more than one occasion.

"I know that!" Quinn snapped as she slammed her locker shut.

"Oh no. You did not just use that tone on Britt."

"San, it's alright. Quinn is just having a bad day."

Quinn took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She felt a hand on her arm as she released her breath. She slowly opened her eyes to see Brittany holding her. Santana still has that permanent scowl on her face, "I'm sorry guys. I didn't mean to take it out on you. It's just that….it's Finn."

Santana's frown deepened at the mention of the girl's boyfriend. Other than being the quarterback of the football team, she couldn't really find any other reason why Quinn was still with him. But then again, this was high school. Quinn and Finn were like a match made in heaven much to her dismay.

"What did he do this time?" Santana asked with an irritated tone.

"Just the usual. Being an ass."

Before their conversation progressed, they heard a shriek from behind them. They looked at the source and the three of them wore the same pained expression once they saw Rachel Berry covered in slushie. They also didn't miss the derogatory term that Karofsky called her. Who wouldn't miss that anyway? He practically screamed it louder than their coach with a megaphone.

What an asshole.

They watched as the petite brunette ran off towards the locker room. Before they could stop her, Brittany was already on her way towards the same direction as Rachel.

"You know, I'm not graduating in this school without seeing Karofsky in misery."

Santana was already contemplating on how they were going to torture the jock.

Q-R-S-B Q-R-S-B-Q-R-S-B

Rachel stared at her reflection. Red and purple sticky fluid was all over her hair, face and sweater. She sighed as she began to undress and made her way towards the shower. Thank God for the showers in McKinley. At least, even if slushie facials are legal, the school still provided some kind of compensation for the lack of disciplinary action. Well, it's still wasn't as impressive as the Cheerio's locker (she remembered Brittany talking about it when they were newly recruited for the squad), but it was decent enough. If only they could get a heater for the showers. It was freezing!

Once she was done, she wrapped herself with a towel and stepped out of the shower. She made a beeline to her Slushie kit, took out her clean clothes and replaced them with the dirty ones. She stared at her slushie covered clothes and frown. A week after her first slushie, she had come to a realization that the attacks would not come to an end any time soon. That was why she never bothered to wear her more fashionable clothing anymore. It would just be a waste. She knew that the bullying wasn't just because of her bad taste in clothes, nor her being Glee captain. Kurt was a fashion guru and yet he still receives his daily dose of slushie facial.

It was all because she was gay. Proud of it, dare she say it. She never really needed to officially 'come out' in public. She has two fathers. Being in a place full of narrow-minded people, they simply assumed that she was gay too. It made things simpler for her but difficult at the same time.

Being gay and proud in Lima, Ohio was like walking in a field full of mines. With just one wrong step, it would blow and destroy her life with no point of recovery. She may be able to defend herself from physical harm, but she wasn't sure if she could do the same when it comes to her emotional and mental well-being. Other than her dads, there were only three people that she was comfortable showing her vulnerability with. Except right now, they are kind of MIA.

Making sure that she was still alone, she dropped the towel wrapped around her body and stepped in to her underwear, followed by her bra. She was just zipping her skirt when she heard the door opened.

Appearing from around the corner of the lockers, Rachel was met with a pair of piercing blue eyes and her breath was literally taken away.

"Brittany," Rachel simply stated as a form of greeting once she got over her initial surprise. She had to admit that Brittany's mere presence was making her heart beat faster than normal. It's been a while since she'd been this close to the tall blonde.

"Hi Rachel," Brittany replied, smiling at the brunette as she stepped closer to the other girl. She placed her clasped hands behind her as she rocked on her heels, back and forth. She tilted her head to the side as she observed the petite girl in front of her.

Rachel felt her cheeks burn as Brittany blatantly scrutinize her from head to toe. She realized that she was still shirtless and she consciously crossed her arms in a defensive manner. She'd like to think that the blonde was there to use the facility, but considering that the Cheerios had their own locker room, it was safe to assume that she actually followed her there. A very strange and disturbingly suspicious assumption.

Before the brunette could say anything, the blue eyed girl broke the awkward silence.

"I'm sorry about Quinn. You know how she gets when she's having a bad day."

Rachel's jaw slightly dropped but she recovered quickly. For the second time within the past five minutes, Brittany surprised her. Surely, she wasn't there to simply apologize for Quinn's behavior. Quinn had been that way for the past two years, and this was the first time Brittany approached her about it.

As if sensing Rachel's thoughts, the blonde spoke, "I also came here to check on you. I saw what happened at the hallway earlier. I would've been here sooner but I got held up by Sam," Brittany explained as she took another step closer to Rachel.

Rachel tried to ignore the unpleasant tightness in her stomach with the mention of the blonde's boyfriend.

"I'm fine, Brittany. Thank you for asking," Rachel replied as calmly as she could. She tried to smile but she was pretty sure that it looked more like a grimace. Being clad only with a bra and a skirt didn't help her situation at all, as well as the fact that Brittany had somehow managed to stand too close to her without her realizing it. The tall blonde was almost occupying her personal space and with a squeak, she stepped back until she hit the cold metal of the lockers.

She was trapped.

"Are you sure? Your cheeks are all red," Brittany asked softly, taking another step towards the brunette. She cupped Rachel's cheek with one hand, feeling the warmth from the other girl's face, "And you're really hot."

Rachel was certain that she could think of a witty retort to that as soon as she's able to summon her inner Noah. Except her brain wasn't cooperating with her right now. Too distracted with how close the cheerleader was standing in front of her. Rachel felt her heart stopped beating all together. Her knees grew weak, eyes wide, as she leaned firmly on the locker for support.

"I-I...well...uhh..."

A stuttering Rachel Berry? No way.

All of Rachel's coherent thoughts flew out the window as she stared at the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen. She tried to rummage through her brain for words that she knew she had stored somewhere. There was supposed to be a lot of them! And yet, here she was, her mouth making a good impression of a fish, looking like a complete moron.

"You're adorable when you have that thinking face."

Was she flirting with her?

Brittany S. Pierce? A Cheerio? One of the most popular girls in school? Girlfriend of school's running back?

Nah. Not a chance.

"You're doing it again."

Rachel scrunched her nose in confusion, "I don't have a thinking face."

Brittany chuckled, a playful smile on her lips.

Of course. This was Brittany. She had always been the playful one among their group. The flirty one.

Rachel felt her cheeks warmed. She shook her head as if waking up from a dream, "I apologize, B," she started, unconsciously using the childhood nickname she had for the blonde as she relaxed a little. "I was just a little surprised to see you here. It's been a while and I wasn't really expecting this confrontation as I have gotten used to being alone...to fend for myself."

Rachel watched as the playful smile at the blonde's lips faltered. Before the cheerleader could say anything, Rachel reached for the hand that was still on her cheek, gave it a little squeeze before slowly moving away from the touch. She didn't miss the slight pout on Brittany's lips as she released her hand. "It's alright, Britt. You don't have to feel bad about it."

"But-" Brittany was cut off when the door burst open, revealing the remaining members of the Unholy Trinity.

Rachel jumped in surprise. Is today 'Give Rachel a heart attack day'? Her heartbeat has probably gone higher for the last five minutes more than she ever did on her 45-minute elliptical routine. If this goes on, she would not be surprised if she suffers from a heart attack by the end of the day.

She was almost sure she was having a moment with Brittany just now and she didn't know why she felt like she was caught with her hand in a cookie jar. It was nothing new but it's been two years since the last time she got this close to any of them. It almost felt foreign but familiar at the same time.

The newly arrived Cheerios simply stared at the scene in front of them. The sight of Rachel only clad in a bra with Brittany on her personal space caught them off guard. Rachel's hair was still dripping wet from the shower and they watched as her chest rise and fall in a rather fast rhythm.

"Hey midget," Santana greeted, finally breaking the silence.

Rachel snapped her head towards the taller brunette, surprised with the absence of the usual viciousness on her voice. It sounded so casual. It was as if the girl who said it was Santana from two years ago, one of her best friends and not the Cheerio Santana who was feared by the whole student body. Her face seemed to be relaxed though Rachel was uncomfortable with the way she was raking over her body.

As if Santana was checking her out.

Pfft. As if.

"What's with the thinking face?" Quinn asked, with her eyebrow raised.

Rachel furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose. Thinking face? "Why is everyone saying that?"

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, feeling vulnerable with the way they were staring at her. She cleared her throat as she watched the three girls talk with their eyes.

Brittany unconsciously licked her lips, Santana simply ogled without blinking and Quinn bit her bottom lip.

Silence.

You know that awkward moment when the three most beautiful girls in school that you had admired ever since childhood were simply staring at you while you were half naked and you could practically feel the heat burning your ears from embarrassment and you know, awkwardness?

Yeah. This was it. And she prayed that the ground would simply swallow her whole and to never spit her out. Ever.

"So..." Rachel said, a poor attempt to occupy the very awkward atmosphere. She really could not emphasize that enough. Because, really, there were no words to describe her situation right now. She found the tiles on the ground interesting all of a sudden. She rubbed the back of her neck, a nervous habit she couldn't seem to get away from.

"Right. You ready to go Britt?" Santana said nonchalantly, as if she didn't spend the last few minutes staring at someone's chest.

Rachel was once again made aware of how close the taller blonde was to her. For some reason, Brittany didn't even bother to step away from her when the two other girls busted through the door. It was as if Brittany was expecting them to follow her there.

"Sure," Brittany shrugged, moving away from the small brunette.

Before the trio went out, Rachel was surprised when the Head Cheerio looked back at her and their eyes met.

"We'll see you later, Rae."

With that, Rachel was left alone to ponder on the warmth feeling that spread through her body when she heard her childhood nickname slipped from the blonde's lips. She unconsciously placed a hand over her pounding chest.

Yep. Heart attack by the end of the day.