When Quinn woke up that morning, she felt different.
She couldn't explain it. She felt an odd niggling in the back of her mind, like she was supposed to remember something but couldn't and her stomach had an empty feeling that she didn't attribute to hunger.
But still she got up and made her way to the kitchen where her mother was already awake and making breakfast, which was a shock in itself.
"Good morning, honey!" Judy greeted enthusiastically and Quinn's eyes widened in alarm.
Sure, her relationship with her mother had always been close, but Judy much like Quinn was not a morning person.
"Good morning?" Quinn responded unsurely, taking a seat at the breakfast bar.
Her vision was still hazy with what she assumed was sleep and she rubbed her eyes under glasses in the hopes of waking more and regaining some vision. It didn't work.
Judy set a plate with eggs and bacon in front of her and Quinn felt her mouth water in response.
Though her stomach grumbled at the scent, Quinn looked up at her mother questioningly. "What's the special occasion?"
Judy smiled at her knowingly. Her eyes twinkled with something Quinn didn't understand. "You're growing up." She said nostalgically, staring at her so fondly that Quinn averted her eyes to her plate.
"Mom," Quinn whined, embarrassed by the flush creeping up her cheeks, "It's not even my birthday."
Judy's grin widened and Quinn got the distinct feeling that her mother knew something she didn't. "I know."
Quinn eyed the woman in front of her skeptically. She picked up her fork and pointed it at her mother accusingly. "You're being weird but I'm going to ignore it in favor of eating this bacon you have so graciously prepared me." She said with a mocking smirk.
Judy rolled her eyes with a laugh. "You know what?" The woman started, her voice teasing and alluding, "That sarcasm and sass that seems to be your default setting, is going to lead to amusing banter with your soulmate." She said casually, wiping down the counter between them.
Quinn stared at her mother, confused by the words spoken so casually. But an odd tugging at her gut had her skin flushing hot in seconds. She reached for her glass of water and chugged, ignoring her mother's knowing eyes.
"Mom, you're creeping me out. What's going on?" Quinn demanded, setting her fork down next to her plate.
Her vision was growing hazy around the edges so she rubbed at her eyes again to no avail. Her stomach felt like it had dropped and she grabbed onto the counter to keep from toppling over. Her world was spinning too quickly and she barely managed to capture her mother's next words.
"...It's happening… Just stay calm… Clear your mind, honey… What do you see?" Her mother's voice sounded far away, like everything around her was tunneling.
Still she shoved away her panic and slammed her eyes closed. The spinning feeling lessened and she tried to focus. She could vaguely see something in her minds eye and she could feel her forehead creasing and a bead of sweat roll down her neck as she tried to focus it.
She could see a lake, almost hear the water rushing. But that wasn't all. Among the grass at the river's side was a figure that was still mostly blurred.
Quinn focused harder.
Her vision in her mind's eye cleared slightly and she recognized the lake side immediately. The figure that had been facing the lake suddenly turned, as if aware of her presence and Quinn was immediately struck by dark eyes staring at her. She let out a whimper, for what reason, she didn't know and she could vaguely hear her mother gasping in excitement around her.
It was a girl, that much she could see. A beautiful girl at that. She focused harder and suddenly the girl's features cleared. The blur surrounding this mysterious girl gave way to sharp facial features, pouty lips and a teasing smirk.
Finally.
Quinn jolted at the words heard so clearly in her mind and she felt her ears straining to hear more of the lovely sound.
Come find me, Quinn. You've kept me waiting long enough.
Quinn's eyes snapped open with a gasp and then her mother's arms were suddenly around her, holding her weight since her knees had become too weak to do it themselves.
She could hear her mom babbling excitedly in her ear. "Oh honey, did you see them? Were they gorgeous? Oh Quinnie! I'm so excited for you! Finding your match is always so amazing!"
Quinn huffed a laugh, too exhausted to do much else. Her body felt heavy and she could barely lift her arms. Until she remembered what her mother had said. "Match?" Quinn questioned, voice rough.
"Yes honey, your soulmate!" Judy said enthusiastically and Quinn's body suddenly came alive.
She pushed herself from her mother's arms and got to her feet, confident in her movements.
"I've got to go." She said, adrenaline pumping through her. The feelings from earlier had intensified ten fold and she was out the door and following her instincts before she realised what was happening.
Her feet lead her to a lake side, one she immediately recognized from her mind's eye. She felt her heart spike in anticipation and excitement and her eyes searched and searched until-
"Quinn!"
Quinn's head whipped around, she knew that voice. Her eyes locked on the girl standing by the lake side and suddenly she was running. Her feet covered the distance between her and the girl and suddenly Quinn was warm.
The girl wrapped her arms around Quinn tight and Quinn couldn't think of any other way to describe the feeling other than- Home, I know.
The voice sounded in her head so clearly and Quinn huffed a laugh.
Suddenly there was hands on her cheeks and Quinn could only see the darkness of her eyes and a thought struck her so suddenly she gripped the hands on her cheeks to balance herself.
"Santana." The blonde said confidently.
"Ooh, I snagged me a smart one." Santana teased, lips curving into a smirk and Quinn felt her mouth spread into a grin.
In the back of her mind she knew this was insane but being in front of Santana, being held by Santana, felt like the rightest thing in the world and suddenly the niggling at the back of her mind was gone, replaced only with the growing affection that she could feel brewing in her by the second.
The blonde let Santana press their lips together and suddenly everything in her world was righted. She didn't have to open her eyes to know that the haze she had grown so accustomed to was finally gone, that her world had finally stopped spinning and settled in to a slow twirl.
"I found you." She said finally, and Santana tossed her head back in a laugh and Quinn felt her heart expand in her chest at the sound.
You found me.