After I sang the song to Rachel, Santana and Brittany practically carry me back to the car and drive to my house which is the closest. When the car stops I get out without a word and walk to the front door, unlock it and walk up to my bedroom, my parents aren't home which doesn't come as a surprise considering my parents are always at work, I hear Britt and San walking behind me quietly I collapse on top of my bed and let the tears I have been holding back escape, I feel Brittany run a comforting hand up and down my back.
'I am so sorry Quinn, we honestly thought she liked you back. I mean she kissed you back, she smiled when she answered the door and saw it was you, I think she's just scared of her feelings, its not easy coming to terms with your sexuality we all have experience with that and even though she has two gay dads that doesn't make it any easier' I know Brittany is right but at this moment I can't bring myself to admit it, my chest hurts to much. I sit up and see that both Brittany and Santana have worried looks on their faces.
'I don't want to talk about this right now, she doesn't love me, and she never will... I just need to accept that, I'll stay away from her and I want you two too do the same' I look at Santana expectantly. 'I know you would have my best interests at heart but please don't do anything to her San' she goes to interrupt me but I hold a hand up to stop her 'please San, for me? You can do whatever you want to Finn though' she smiles at that.
'I give you my word that I won't lay a hand on Rachel and I won't let anyone else hurt her either' I pull them both into a hug and in that moment I know that everything is going to be all right.
After that day I kept my word and stayed away from Rachel, even though it killed me to do so. I made sure no harm came to her because I knew that her worthless boyfriend wouldn't. Santana kept her word and didn't lay a finger on Rachel and she helped me keep everyone else off of her back, but she did make it her top priority to make Finns life an absolute hell by ordering slushie facials every other day and every time he did something to hurt Rachel she made sure the hockey team beat the shit out of him. I focused everything on my education and passed all of my exams with flying colours and got top grades in the school, I signed up for the army and got shipped off to Afghanistan pretty much straight after my training.
Its the day I am scheduled to leave, which is in about 5 hours, and I am stood in front of Rachels house dressed in my uniform, I take a deep breath and knock on the door Rachel opens it after a few painful seconds, I force a smile on my face.
'Hey Rach, I know you told me to leave you alone but I am due to leave in a few hours and I couldn't leave without saying goodbye. I want you to know that I do still love you and I will never stop loving you, I know you're with Finn and you are moving to New York and will become a Broadway star' I grab her hand and take another deep breath to try and keep the tears at bay. 'I don't know if I will make it back from Afghanistan but I know that I don't want to go without seeing your beautiful face one more time, I don't want to die without you knowing that you are the one thing in my life that I ever truly loved and wanted to keep safe and know I will go fight for our country and for you, I will fight till my last breath to keep you safe. I don't want to die without regrets' I close my eyes so the tears that have been fighting to escape don't fall, I take a shaky breath before opening my eyes to see that Rachel is freely crying, all I want to do is wipe away the tears but I refrain myself.
'I broke up with Finn, as soon as I found out you joined the army I broke up with him, because I love you and I sorry it took me so God damn long to realise but I can't let you go without telling you. Please come back Quinn because I can't lose you' she takes a step towards me and cups my face with her spare hand, she leans forward her lips inches from mine. 'please don't die' she whispers before claiming my lips in a kiss full of love and passion. When air becomes necessary we break apart.
'come back to me Quinn, do what you have to just make sure you come back alive'
Leaving her was one of the hardest things I have ever have to do, but I managed to keep my promise to her and I stayed alive... barely, I found myself in the middle of an ambush and got shot 3 times, one in the shoulder, one puncturing my lung and another through my thigh. I nearly died my I some how managed to stay alive, even though I lost a lot of blood and died twice on the operating table and after months of rehabilitation and rehab I find myself outside of Rachels apartment in New York, Santana and Brittany dropped me off but not before wishing me luck.
Me and Santana stayed in contact while I was fighting, me and Rachel talked every now and again but she said it was to hard to talk like everything was still normal and that it'll make our reunion even better. I just landed in JFK and was walking through the airport when I heard my name being shouted over the hussle and bussle of the airport, I turn to where the voice came from and I see San and Britt practically running towards me with huge smiles on their faces, they are dressed causal in jeans and a shirt where as I am dressed in my army uniform. I drop my duffel bag to the floor and accept the hugs I am offered after a while we break out of the embrace, Santana then punches me in my good shoulder.
'Hey! What was that for?' I say while rubbing the spot she abused.
'that's for scaring the shit out of me and Britt, I thought we told you to come back in one piece and instead I get a phone call off of your Commander saying you got shot and I couldn't even tell Rachel because she doesn't like hearing about you out there' guilt washes over me.
'I'm sorry but I was ambushed, I'm here now aren't I and I'm in one piece' I say smiling and pick up my bag and sling it over my good side 'come on, you two are taking me to Rachels so I can surprise her' I say walking over to the exit.
So here I am about to surprise the love of my life and I am ridiculously nervous, I take a deep breath and wipe my sweaty palms on my camouflaged combat trousers before knocking on the door. I count the seconds before the door finally opens, I get to 10. I look into the very surprised eyes of Rachel Berry.
'Quinn...' is all she says before tackling me into a hug, her arms wrap around my neck as mine entwine around her waist, I pull back a fraction of an inch so I can kiss her, I break the kiss when I oxygen becomes an issue.
'I told you I would come back alive' I say against her lips before kissing her again and I can't help but think that I am the luckiest person alive because in this moment I am kissing the love of my life after surviving getting shot, I know in this moment that it was all worth it because I fought for what was right and I fought to keep the girl of my dreams safe. I regret nothing.