"Rachel, it's too dangerous for you to be involved with me"

"I'm not going to let you scare me away Quinn"

"I could kill you"

"I know"

Prologue.

Quinn Fabray. Head of the Cheerios cheerleading squad, an unexpected teenage mother that gave up her child for adoption.

The top bitch that climbed her way back to the top of the proverbial triangle, seemingly effortlessly after 9 months of hospital visits, taunts and stretchable fabrics.

Many things could be said to describe her, some not repeatable to her face, but she was in control of everything and everyone around her knew it. She had her body back in shape just a few months after she'd given birth, her duet helped New Directions win their second year sectionals and she dated the school's newest quarterback.

But that was High School. And things change. People change. Quinn Fabray, had changed in a way nobody knew.

Chapter 1 – Reunion.

Rachel Berry was close to giving up, and that wasn't something she'd normally do. But two years in LA and at least a year of getting no work was taking its toll on her. She had to work 2 jobs to get by. Weekend's waitressing at an upscale Italian restaurant where the customers often gave her hell, a few celebrities that were regulars there had a tendency to mock her positivity and strength. Weeknights she worked at a nightclub, she had to cope with drunkards three nights a week but she had to stick at it to pay her bills.

She considered herself lucky she wasn't in debt. Within a fortnight of living in LA she'd succumb to the pressure and gotten a nose job. But her new honker definitely hadn't gotten the jobs or the money rolling in like her agent had been hoping.

She'd been told to consider implants, which she immediately shot down. She'd pointed out that she could just wear gel filled push up bras if it was an issue. And they even suggested she lose a few pounds, this caused the barely 5'2 120 pound 21 year old to put herself on a vigorous exercise and diet regime. Within a month she was 10 pounds lighter and a few months later she was barely a size 4. Her friends and work colleagues pointed out how great she looked, which just kept encouraging her to keep it going. That becoming a star was worth any sacrifice, no matter how much her stomach grumbled in protest every night as she tried to sleep.

She'd even taken up smoking, to curb her sweet craving.

Rachel Berry was a shadow of her former self, and any Glee club members she was still in regular contact with were shocked at the dramatic change. As annoying as she was in high school, that's what made her..well, Rachel.

It was a Tuesday night and Rachel had ducked out the side door of the club for a cigarette break, a much needed one with all the creeps that were in there. She lit up and looked up at the dark sky above and around her, when did it come to this? she thought to herself. She inhaled the nicotine like her life depended on it, she exhaled shaking slightly. No tears Berry this is not stage or screen.

As she mentally berated herself for her brief emotional relapse she noticed a figure sat across the street on a bench. For some reason the blonde looked extremely familiar. Rachel shook her head and shrugged her shoulders turning her attention back to the burning cigarette between her pursed lips.

"Rachel?" a gentle voice called, "Rachel Berry is that you?"

Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing; she'd recognize that voice anywhere. That voice had struck horror into her in high school for years, until Rachel had realized that deep down she really wasn't as mean as she made out. Then that same voice had struck something in Rachel that had shocked her. Something she'd told no one about, not even her gay dads.

"Quinn? Quinn Fabray?" Rachel asked.

"Wow it is you!" Quinn answered as she headed across the street, making it to her in an unbelievably quick space of time Rachel noted.

The blonde had a bright smile on her face and was beautiful as ever, "well isn't this something"

Rachel nodded, her beauty shocking her momentarily. She'd always been gorgeous in high school but now, you couldn't miss the curves she'd developed in all the right places.

"Wow Quinn, you look amazing. It's been a long time, how are you doing?" She babbled in her typical way, Quinn grinned.

"Some things never change. I'm doing good, always thought you'd end up out here. How's it going for you?"

Rachel wanted to make up some lie about how everything was amazing and beyond her wildest dreams, but for some reason she just couldn't fabricate anything. And for some reason she felt like she couldn't lie to the blonde before her. So instead she flicked her cigarette away and defensively crossed her arms across her body.

"It's not so swell actually. I'm working at that club right there, one of my two jobs" she sighed kind of defeatedly.

"Rachel I'm so sorry to hear that. Hey, don't take this the wrong way but, have you had some work done?"

The brunette simply nodded a tear escaping. "Got my nose fixed within a few weeks of being here, had to sleep in a motel before I got enough money to pay the rent on my apartment"

The blonde looked genuinely shocked. "Rachel, I can't believe that, why did you do that?" she didn't wait for an answer before asking another question. "Do you not have a roommate?"

"It's just me; you know the Avida apartment complex? That's where I've lived for about 8 months now, it's nice but..no one there seems to like me. I don't know why I mean I've invited people over for dinner and stuff but.."

Quinn genuinely didn't know what to say, so she just leaned over to hug her high school glee club buddy.

Rachel was enjoying the embrace, her first hug in possibly about a year that wasn't from a drunken lout, but it was short lived. Quinn let go of her pretty fast. The blonde cleared her throat and avoided eye contact for a few seconds.

"So anyway, what about you?"

"Not much to tell really. I have an apartment in town too, haven't been here too long so naturally I was surprised to bump into you. And I'm starting a new job next week; assistant manager at an Italian Restaurant called La Zuc"

"La Zucca Ristorante" Rachel finished for her. "I'm a waitress there" she smiled weakly.

"Well, then I guess I'll be seeing more of you then Berry"

"I guess so; hey I finish in about 20 minutes do you fancy a drink and a real catch up?"

Quinn smiled and nodded her acceptance. She couldn't help notice that Rachel looked very pleased with her answer. It was sweet, and it reminded Quinn of the crush she'd had on her back in High School. Which of course nobody knows about.

"Okay I gotta go back in where I came but if you go around front I'll tell Barry our guard to put you in the VIP area"

"..Is there a lot of people in there?"

"Quite a few yes apparently we're one of the hottest clubs right now, why? Are you claustrophobic or something?"

"You could say that.."

Rachel didn't press the blonde any further, for some reason the resistance etched on her face told her it was not a good idea to push the reason as to why.

"I'll just wait here for you; I'll go back to the bench I was on"

"Are you sure? I feel bad you waiting around in the dark for me by yourself"

Quinn laughed; Rachel felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach at the sound.

"I'll be fine Rachel, but thank you. Don't worry, I can take care of myself" she winked before crossing the street, again in a seemingly short amount of time Rachel noticed for the second time in their brief exchange.

With a final look back Rachel pushed her way back into the club to finish her shift, not noticing that the blonde had disappeared from where she was meant to be seated.