Rachel walked purposefully down the hall, towards the auditorium, where she was meeting Puck. It was the day after she had agreed to help him break up Finn and Quinn and she felt an undeniable feeling of guilt drowning her. It didn't feel right breaking up a couple for her own selfish reasons, but she knew she wanted to do it.
What if Finn and Quinn were meant to be together and she was ruining their chance at happiness? She couldn't live with herself if that happened. She couldn't ruin someone's happy ever after, just so she could get hers. Also, if anyone found out about their plan, they would hate both Puck and Rachel for doing it. They had good intentions, but would anyone else see it that way?
When she reached the auditorium doors, she made her way inside. She saw Puck sat on the edge of the stage with his legs hanging above the floor. She walked to him and sat down without a word.
"So, you decided to show?" Puck said eventually, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean? We agreed to meet here." Rachel frowned in confusion.
"I know, but I thought you might have chickened out." Puck admitted as he swung his legs back and forth.
"I thought about it." Rachel confessed.
"Then why didn't you?" Puck asked, looking properly at Rachel.
"Because I'm too in love with Finn." Rachel admitted quietly and she avoided Puck's gaze.
"Right." Puck nodded in understanding and looked down.
"Just so you know, what we're about to do is deplorable." Rachel said. She figured letting Puck know that she wasn't proud of what they were planning would make her feel slightly better. It didn't.
"I know." Puck nodded. "But it's for the greater good." He reminded her.
"Good point." Rachel smiled slightly. "I suppose it's one of those situations where the ends justify the means."
"What?" Puck frowned in confusion and Rachel remembered who she was dealing with.
"It means that you can use bad or immoral methods as long as you accomplish something good by using them." Rachel explained causing Puck to nod in understanding.
"Right, well can we just get started?" Puck asked in a more cheerful tone. "You're already making my brain hurt." He added with a small frown.
Rachel shot Puck a hostile glance but nodded. "How would we actually break them up?"
It was easy to say that they were going to break a couple up; but actually doing it was another matter. How would you go about doing something like that? It seemed like a challenge.
"I think we have to start small." Puck mused out loud. "We can't make our plan too obvious."
"Right." Rachel nodded. "I googled how to break a couple up last night," Puck rolled his eyes but continued to listen. "It said you have to become a confidant to the person you want to be with."
"What do you mean?"
"They can trust you and rely on you." Rachel explained again.
The pair stayed silent while they thought about their plan. It was a hard thing to do without people finding out. They thought in silence for a few moments before Rachel spoke.
"Finn and I always communicate through music," She said. Puck looked at her to see where she was going with the thought. "So I could sing a song to him in Glee this afternoon to let him no I'm not giving up on him."
"But where does that get me and Quinn?" Puck frowned, he should have known Rachel would be selfish with this plan.
"Well, Quinn is going to be mad that I'm not backing down." Rachel said, as if the rest of the explanation was obvious. The blank look she was receiving from Puck and the fact he stayed silent prompted her to continue. "When Quinn complains about the mole in her relationship, she is going to want to complain to someone." Puck still didn't catch on and Rachel sighed. "She can complain to you! You can be her confidant!"
"Ohhh." Puck nodded in understanding as the penny finally dropped. "That's a good idea." He complimented. Rachel smiled proudly.
"Well, I'll leave you to think of a song to sing." Puck stood up and got ready to leave.
"Wait." Rachel also stood and stopped him. "What are we going to call our plan?" Puck frowned and wondered why they would need a name for it. Rachel must have known what he was thinking and continued. "If we don't have a name, people will know what we're up to if they overhear us."
"Oh, right." Puck nodded and thought for a moment. "I've got it!" He said eventually. "Operation Destroyer."
"Destroyer?" Rachel repeated with a frown.
"We are destroying their relationship." Puck explained with a smirk.
"We aren't calling it that."
"Why?" Puck asked, like a child who had been told they couldn't get a new toy.
"It's too... brutal."
"Then what do you have in mind?" Puck asked.
Rachel stayed quiet for a few moments while she thought about it. Then a look a realisation crossed over her face. "Operation Happy Ever After!"
"No." Puck said sternly.
"Why?" Rachel said in a whiny voice. "We are breaking them up so we can all live Happily Ever After."
"No. Way." Puck shook his head firmly.
"We're calling it Operation Happy Ever After, otherwise, I'm out."
Puck frowned and thought about this for a moment. "Fine." He muttered.
"Good." Rachel smiled in satisfaction.
"Why do you have to be such a girl?"
Rachel smiled proudly before grabbing her bag and leaving the auditorium.
Rachel sat in the choir room with the rest of the Glee club. Everyone was chatting enthusiastically, except her. For some reason, she had a nervous flutter in her stomach, despite having sung in front of the Glee Club a million times. It was probably because this time she had ulterior motives.
Mr. Schuester walked into the room and Rachel sat up, preparing herself to perform. She took a glance to Finn who was already seated behind his drum kit, looking towards Quinn. Rachel moved her gaze to Quinn who was smiling at Finn. The pain that attacked Rachel's chest every time she saw them as a couple came by right on cue. She looked to Puck who took a seat behind Quinn, he smile t her encouragingly.
"Alright guys," Mr Schuester clapped his hands together as he made his way to the centre of the room. "Who's up first today?"
Rachel confidently raised her hand into the air until he looked at her. "If it's OK with you I'd like to do my own reinterpretation of my favourite Fleetwood Mac song." She said as she accepted the microphone Mr. Schue was offering her.
"Which one?" Mr. Schue asked.
"Go you own way." She informed him, and the rest of the room. "It's a song about the tragic break up between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks." Rachel stood up and walked to the centre of the room. "Traditionally, it's sung by a man, but today Rachel Berry is going to put her own feminine twist on it." She gave one more glance to Puck who gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. "Hit it." She told the band.
Rachel looked to Finn as the song started, directing the words to him.
Loving you
Isn't the right thing to do
How can I ever change things
That I feel
Rachel took her eyes away from Finn and set them on Quinn. Quinn frowned at her and Rachel knew she was surprised by her choice of song. The look showed she knew it was for Finn and she wasn't happy.
If I could
Maybe I'd give you my world
How can I
When you won't take it from me
Puck leant forward towards Quinn and whispered in her ear. "Is she seriously singing the to Finn?"
Quinn looked at Puck from over her shoulder. "I think so." She said in disbelief. Puck smirked when Quinn turned back around, her face full of anger.
You can go your own way
Go your own way
You can call it
Another lonely day
You can go your own way
Go your own way
As Rachel began the second verse, she took the microphone from the stand and walked towards Finn. As she sang, she walked around him, directing the words to him.
Tell me why
Everything turned around
Packing up,
Shacking up's all you wanna do
If I could
Baby I'd give you my world
Open up
Everything's waiting for you
Rachel couldn't help herself and gave one more glance to Quinn. Her look was full of anger, disbelief and surprise. Rachel knew she had hit home with this performance.
You can go your own way
Go your own way
You can call it
Another lonely day
You can go your own way
Go your own way
As she sang the last note, one last look to Finn revealed a smile on his face. He wasn't mad at her for singing the song to him. His smile spread onto Rachel's face as she ended the song, greeted by a round of applause.
As the applause died down, Quinn spoke, "Don't you think it's maybe a little inappropriate that you chose to sing a love song to my guy?"
Rachel looked over to her in surprise. She knew Quinn wouldn't be happy, though she didn't expect her to call Rachel out on it in front of the rest of the glee club. Rachel also couldn't believe how Quinn could act like she had done no wrong whilst being in a relationship. It made Rachel's blood boil and she knew she couldn't hold it in any longer.
"You're such a hypocrite!" Rachel told her in frustration. She saw Puck's eyebrows raise in surprise. "You Little Miss Perfect Prom Queen! You're a cheater who cheats in cheap motels with Sam."
"Nothing's going on between Sam and I!" Quinn insisted.
"How do you honestly expect anyone to believe you, Quinn." Rachel asked, causing everyone else in the room to go deadly silent. "You've cheated on Finn with Puck before and had his baby. Then you cheated on Sam with Finn. Why would anyone believe that you wouldn't do it again?"
Quinn looked down and stood up. "Rachel, I've made mistakes, there's no need to remind me. But I've also learnt my lesson." Quinn walked to the middle of the room so she was next to Rachel. "I care about Finn, and I know better than to let him go again. I think you need to accept that, and move on."
Rachel was left at a loss of words and looked down at the floor. Once Quinn was happy that Rachel wasn't going to say anything else, she began to walk out of the room. She put her hand on Finn's shoulder as she passed him and gave him a small smile that he returned.
"OK guys, I think that'll be it for today." Mr. Schuester ended the session. Everyone filed out the room in a relatively quiet manner, leaving Rachel stood in the centre alone.