Disclaimer: Glee is not mine.

AN: I wasn't planning on starting a new story so soon, and writing Glee intimidates me a bit since there are so many amazing writers out there.

But I made a bet with my friend on whoever reaches 50,000 words first gets dessert from the other for a week. So her fanfic name is purpl3go0s3. So check out her Maximum Ride stories, and her contest piece will be the sequel to "Not for Forever" which she better start or else I'll win!

Thanks and reviews are appreciated :)

Finding a Way

Chapter One

Quinn Fabray was back on top. She had overcome her pregnancy and restored herself on top of the McKinley high social hierarchy. She was back in Sue Sylvester's good graces, back into her cheer leading uniform and back to being head cheerleader. Yet it wasn't as sweet as she had expected. She didn't expect to feel so lonely back at the top. She didn't have Finn anymore and Puck was not an option. She didn't expect to be spending her nights alone after moving back into her too big household with her Mom. She didn't expect tension between them when her mom was home. She most certainly didn't expect to cry herself to sleep each night as images of her baby flooded her brain. Her Beth. She knew she had done the right thing, but she found herself missing the innocent face. The face of unconditional love. Quinn just felt alone.

She turned around, away from her locker, vaguely aware of Brittany and Santana behind her with their pinkies locked walking together closely. Technically too close for a platonic relationship. By now it didn't matter though seeing as Quinn and almost everyone in the school knew their relationship went beyond platonic. Even with the two of them flanking her like they used to she felt alone, Santana was still wary after the fight and Brittany was sweet but ultimately closer to Santana.

Quinn stopped short as she walked down the hall, Puck was walking with Rachel on his arm. Or rather Rachel was walking with Puck on her arm. As they walked the hallway cleared, the way it did for Quinn. They earned glances of amazement. The fact that Puck and Rachel had gotten together after the debacle regionals instead of Rachel and Finn continued to astound people. Finn had been pissed when Rachel ran to Puck instead of him after the competition, so mad that he pulled the knocking over the chair routine. Something that caused a scandalous blog from Jacob Ben Israel.

A week later, it was official, Puck and Rachel were back together causing a stir of confusion at McKinley, even more so than their previous stint. Quinn was amazed at how at how calm Puck seemed. He had wanted so badly to keep Beth. He had tried so hard to win Quinn and yet after the pregnancy he simply moved on. And oddly Quinn found she didn't really care. She loved Puck, and he had proved to be a wonderful person, but she wasn't in love with him. She cared for him, but she didn't care that he had moved on. Yet when she watched him and Rachel walk towards her seemingly in slow motion she felt a pang of jealousy. She convinced herself that it was because she was jealous of their relationship. That's it, all she wanted was to feel less lonely. But that couldn't be it, because soon after they had gotten together Finn had come back to her, begging to get back together. She didn't want him. To be honest she wasn't sure what she wanted.

"Hello Quinn, Santana, Brittany," she heard Rachel's voice as the pair stopped in front on her. She swore she could hear Santana rolling her eyes behind her.

"Puck...Ma- Rachel," Quinn greeted and corrected herself. She saw Rachel flinch and felt pity. Since she joined glee and experienced the bottom of the social ladder she had been trying to correct herself when it came to addressing Berry. But old habits die hard.

Quinn watched as Puck awkwardly tried to look at anything but her. Rachel's arm was linked firmly in his.

"I hope the three of you are prepared for Glee today. We all really need to step up our game if we expect to place at nationals," she said in full diva mode.

"Whatever man hands," Santana said. Rachel raised her chin and Quinn heard Brittany shush Santana.

"Come on Rach, let's go," Puck said throwing a glare at his old sexting partner as he wrapped an arm tighter around Rachel. They walked off and Quinn felt a pang of jealousy, probably at the way they held each other. Her eyes were subtlety drawn towards the sway of Rachel's hips in her temptingly short skirt. Quinn hardly believed the rumors that Rachel was a prude; she may dress a bit conservatively but she knew how to gain attention, like in her skirts. Plus she was dating Puck, so she couldn't be that much of a prude.

"God Q, didn't know you were such a perv," Santana said a smirk in her voice. Quinn felt a blush form at her neck and creep into her cheeks.

"You're such a bitch S," she said straightening her stance and taking the lead down the hall once again.

"Is that even a surprise Quinnie?" Santana said harshly, but stayed a half step behind Quinn. Quinn let it slide, they were still getting back into the swing of her being in charge. Quinn smirked though because even after everything that happened, Santana still was falling back into place.

Quinn sighed as she walked into Mr. Schuester's Spanish class trying to push Santana's comment out of her head. She knew the Latina was just trying to rile her up. But the thought of Rachel Berry still managed to creep into the back of Quinn's mind more than once throughout the day.