Chapter 1
Quinn Fabray. It had always been Quinn Fabray for Rachel. Quinn was all she knew. Ever since they first met as kids in kindergarten, the two had made an instant connection and had been best friends ever since. It had been 13 years later and they still had their weekly sleepovers at one of the two's houses every Friday.
They knew everything there was to know about each other. They had supported each other through the hardships and tears. Rachel had been there for Quinn and Judy Fabray when Quinn's father, Russell, had died while they were in 8th grade and had held her hand at his funeral. Quinn had been there for Rachel when she had come home in tears after the first time she was slushied by two guys on the football team. Rachel was the first person Quinn told when she found out she was pregnant and Rachel had held her while she cried. She had tended to all her cravings, dealt with all the mood swings during Quinn's pregnancy and held her hand in the delivery room. She was there for Quinn when she gave Beth up for adoption to Shelby. The two of them held each other as they both cried, that night. Quinn comforted Rachel over the loss of the mother she never got to know and Rachel comforted Quinn over the loss of her daughter. It took Quinn months to get over Beth, but Rachel never left her side.
When they were 12, Rachel had proposed they made a deal that they were never to go to bed angry at each other. Whenever they had one of their rare arguments, they would leave each other to cool down for a few hours and then hug and make up. The girls needed each other to keep them rooted to the ground. Rachel was able to calm Quinn down during her HBIC moments and Quinn was able to keep at bay the diva that was Rachel Berry.
Quinn always believed she and Rachel were best friends. But for Rachel, it was more than that. She saw Quinn for more than her obvious beauty. She saw more than just the head cheerleader with the perfect 4.0 GPA. She knew Quinn's heart and that was what caused her to fall for her best friend. When she was 14 and she first felt something more than what she was used to for Quinn, she got scared. She convinced herself that it was a phase that she would get over but now at 17, she was more in love than ever. Of course coming out as gay wouldn't be an issue with the whole "two dads" thing, but she didn't see herself being solely attracted to girls. Quinn seemed to be the exception. The only one who made her feel whole. The only one who would cause Rachel to burn her Barbra Streisand posters (God forbid) if it meant saving her. The only one who made the pain and longing in her heart so bad sometimes that she could lock herself up in her room forever and cry. But it was all worth it just to be by her side. So yes, to Rachel, it was always Quinn Fabray.