I know, I really truly do know that I've got other stories I'm working on. However that being said this wouldn't go away. It broke my heart when Rachel couldn't even be happy that she got her dream role all because of everything else. I'm going to stop rambling on now. Reviews would be lovely. And for those of you who read this and who are waiting for an update to 'Never Let Me Go' I'm working on the next chapter promise (: xx Reviews would be nice...please? xx

"Congratulations."

Rachel's head snaps up and she twists her body around the piano bench towards the voice.

"Quinn! I-I didn't realize anyone was still here, I thought everyone left already…" She stops once she finally really registers what Quinn had said, "What?"

The newly reinstated blonde bites her tongue to stop from smiling too widely as she walks closer to the tiny brunette.

"I said congratulations. For getting the part. You got your dream role. Maria, right?"

Rachel's eyes widen and before she can think to filter herself, words are spilling from her lips, "You…You actually listen when I talk? You remembered." Her voice is one of pleasant surprise.

This time Quinn allows herself a real smile as she looks down at the seated brunette before her, "Of course I do. It's hard not to listen to you. Who doesn't know that she's your dream role? She's pretty much all you've wanted to play. Let's not forget Elphie though."

Elphie?...Wicked! Rachel's eyes widen and her jaw actually drops, "You…Wicked!"

The blonde tucks a lock of hair behind her ear in an attempt to hide the blush on her face, "You aren't the only one who happens to like musicals and plays Rachel."

Quinn leaves out the part about her researching all about the play, reading the book and re-watching the DVD…just like she's done with every single musical that Rachel has mentioned and has sung a song from.

Rachel nods, "Of course. I'm sorry, I really shouldn't assume, it's just that you haven't said or even alluded to…well I must say it's a pleasant surprise. I just, didn't expect it."

After a beat or two Rachel starts to get fidgety and she turns back around to face the piano, "What are you doing here?" she asks quietly.

The blonde frowns slightly but walks up and takes a seat beside the brunette, "I told you. I came here to congratulate you."

Rachel's fingers stop playing with the hem of her skirt as she nods slowly, "You wanted to congratulate me?"

Quinn nods and softly starts tinkering with the piano keys. She doesn't say anything for a while and Rachel thinks that she isn't going to get anything else out of the blonde but just when she's about to open her mouth to speak, Quinn beats her to it.

"Mercedes may have wanted the role…But she didn't want it half as much as you did Rachel."

Rachel couldn't even open her mouth, her heart was hammering in her chest and her throat was constricting. Did Quinn really just say that?

"More than that…You actually work for it, you don't just show up and expect it all to happen. Mercedes…she isn't like you Rach…el."

Not entirely sure why, Rachel's eyes started to get misty. Was someone actually saying she deserved it?

Quinn turns so she's sort of facing the brunette, "I just thought you deserved to feel happy about getting the role." The blonde gives her a small smile and then turns to leave.

Rachel gently takes a hold of her hand and just holds it, surprised that Quinn isn't pulling her hand away.

"I would have been perfectly grateful to play Maria alongside her."

Quinn sits back down, her hand still in Rachel's.

"I would've been crushed had I not gotten it at all, but I'd have still been proud of her achievement."

Quinn nods and quietly interrupts, "There's no way she would have gotten it instead of you Rachel. You were born to play Maria."

Not entirely certain why she's feeling so open and forthcoming with Quinn but not really shying away from it Rachel softly says, "I thought we were friends. When we both got called back I had offered a hug in the spirit of camaraderie and well that didn't work very well. And when we got double-cast…I thought we were friends."

Quinn's heart clenches and instead of just allowing her hand to be held, she turns her hand over and grips Rachel's, "I'm not going to sit here and make excuses for her because honestly there aren't any. I'm…" she pauses and squeezes Rachel's hand slightly, "sorry." Rachel's eyes widen but she keeps her mouth closed as Quinn continues, realizing how unusual it is for the blonde to really open up and to even apologize, "I'm sorry that she decided that getting the role and being the lead was more important than keeping your friendship."

They sit in silence, hands clasped together, Rachel absentmindedly using her other hand to trace patterns across Quinn's.

"Thank you."

Quinn looks up at the brunette, tilting her head slightly.

Rachel offers her a sad smile, "For congratulating me. You're the only one who has."

The blonde's chest constricts, "Finn…Kurt didn't?"

Rachel keeps her smile on her face but shakes her head, "He's most probably the last person, other than Mercedes, who's going to congratulate me."

Furrowing her brow trying to figure out why that would be, Quinn raises an eyebrow and Rachel sighs, "He's uh mad at me for running for Class President."

Quinn's eyes narrow, "Why? Is he afraid of more competition?"

Rachel frowns but decides to address the first question, "He believes that…he should win because he'd be able to help the gay community and do something for the LGBT and that if I run and win it wouldn't be of any help at all."

Quinn growls and Rachel is oddly ecstatic with the reactions she's getting from her. Sure they're not exactly the best of friends but it's oddly comforting to know that there's at least one person that either of them can just be themselves around.

"That's completely and utterly ridiculous Rachel!"

The brunette's eyes widen at the outburst and Quinn is sorry that she made the tiny diva flinch so she softens her gaze and drops her voice down to a quieter decibel, "How would you being elected not help the LGBT community? How is you running any different than Brittany running?"

Rachel shrugs slightly and drops her gaze down to her lap, oddly comforted by the sight of her tan skin encompassing Quinn's lighter one.

Quinn lets herself simmer as her brain shoots off a million and one different reasons. The one that stands out first is that Kurt knows that had he said anything, anything at all, that Santana would deem as mean he would have gotten his sorry ass kicked for saying it and upsetting Brittany. However he can get away with it with Rachel because he figured no one would call him on it.

Quinn growls and her eyes furrow further and unknowingly her hand is gripping Rachel's tighter, making the brunette aware of her growing anger.

"Quinn." Rachel says softly, rubbing her hand across the back of the blonde's hand.

Hazel eyes soften as she whispers, "How can you not be a good candidate? How can he say that? You have two dads, you've constantly supported Kurt, you tried starting a Gay-Lesb-All club, and against better judgment you've actually shown your support for Santana and Brittany when they sang Landslide."

Rachel is past being surprised by just how much Quinn actually pays attention. She nods her head slowly and shrugs, "It's perfectly alright Quinn. I will simply need to find a way to apologize to Kurt for,"

She's cut off by a tug of her hand and Quinn's face being mere inches away from her face, her Hazel eyes wide and swirling with emotion, "Don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. You've done nothing wrong. The only reason why he's even running is to make it look good on his college application form. So all that 'I would make it better for the gay community' is just a bunch of bacon. He wasn't even going to make it into his running campaign when Brittany came up with it."

Rachel's eyes widen slightly as she takes a breath, "Brittany?"

Quinn smiles slightly and nods her head moving back slightly, "She is the unicorn."

Rachel gives her back a half smile but then drops her gaze, "Why is it that I can never seem to keep friends?"

The blonde's heart breaks and before she can say anything Rachel is carefully yet quickly disentangling their hands and rushing away from the piano.

It takes a second for Quinn to realize what's going on and she thanks years of cheerleading for her reflexes because she's up out of her seat within seconds and holding onto Rachel's hand in less, "Rachel wait. Where are you going?"

Quinn is horrified when she notices tears making their way down Rachel's cheeks and for some reason her gut reaction is to catch them and wipe them away, and her second reaction is to pull the brunette close to her into a hug.

She surprises herself by actually doing both. She pulls Rachel closer to her slowly, and carefully wipes the tears away from her face, rubbing her thumb across her cheek as she continues to draw her in closer to her body, wrapping her other arm around her waist, "Don't cry, please don't cry. I didn't want to make you cry."

Which seems to make Rachel cry even harder, silent tears, each drop seemingly filled with so much pain finally being let out for the right reasons instead of sneakily escaping when she sings a solo.

Quinn drops her hand away from Rachel's face and wraps both arms around her waist, not surprised when Rachel's arms grip her tighter around the shoulders.

Finn should be here with his girlfriend. Finn should be the one she's taking comfort from. Finn should be here telling her it's alright. Finn should be supporting her with everything he is.

But it's Quinn. Quinn is the one here with Rachel. Quinn is the one she's being given comfort from. Quinn is the one telling her it's alright. Quinn is the one supporting her with everything she is.

The blonde coos softly when Rachel finally pulls back after what seems like hours, nose red from crying, eyes still damp, tears clinging to her eyelashes, cheeks flushed, "Hey."

Rachel's lip trembles as she sniffs and quietly whispers a broken, "Thank you."

Quinn's heart melts and she shakes her head, wiping away at some wayward tears, "Please don't thank me. I…I haven't been the best person to you, but I promise you I'm going to try. You offered me your friendship on more than one occasion and I've turned you down and I understand completely if you don't want it but I'm asking for you to give me a shot, please. I want to be your friend. I want to be the one here for you. I want to show you that I can be that for you."

Rachel's eyes refill with tears and immediately Quinn thinks she's said something wrong, "It's okay! No hey don't cry! It's fine, it really is, I understand completely!"

At Rachel shaking her head Quinn stops talking, completely and utterly confused.

"I'm going to hug you now." the brunette whispers and at Quinn's silence she wraps her arms back around Quinn's neck and holds her close. It takes the blonde a few seconds to get with the program but once she does she's wrapping her own arms around Rachel's waist just as tightly and she even allows herself a moment to enjoy the closeness offered to her by Rachel, she allows herself to be comforted by her.

When Rachel pulls back Quinn gives her a tiny lopsided smile which Rachel returns.

"Well I can definitely say that this is unexpected."

Quinn ducks her head and shakes it before lifting it back up and looking into Rachel's eyes, "Really?"

Rachel nods biting her lip, "It's not every day that the prettiest girl I've ever met, who is so much more than that, comes by and offers me friendship."

Quinn's cheeks blush on their own accord but she valiantly fights through it, "Is it a bad thing?"

Rachel shakes her head, "No, no it most definitely isn't a bad thing."

The blonde smiles and shuffles her feet, "Good because I was wondering if you'd like a campaign manager. I'm offering up my services."

And before Rachel can say anything Quinn continues, "And no this isn't about me wanting you to elect me as vice president or council or anything like that…this is what friends do. I uh…also wouldn't be averse to running lines with you, although I'm sure you probably know all your cues already."

Quinn is near blinded by the smile Rachel gives her, "Really Quinn? You mean it?"

The blonde smiles and shrugs slightly, "Of course."

And as Rachel dives into an in-depth description of her running campaign Quinn can't help but to think that this is definitely the start of a beautiful something.