Sam had been late leaving the locker room after football practice as he chose to stay behind to have a talk with Coach Beiste about how he could get back his position as starting Quarterback. As he made his way through the school after hours towards the parking lot he began to hear what sounded like a band rocking out. Curious, he followed the music all the way to the auditorium where he was surprised to discover Finn, Puck, Rachel, Kurt and Artie were the ones responsible for the music.
Finn was in his usual position behind the drums, Puck was playing lead guitar, Rachel was centre stage singing into her handheld microphone, Artie was playing rhythm guitar and Kurt was playing the keyboard. Once they realised they had an audience the band wound down their performance allowing Sam to address them. "Hey guys, you're really good!"
Rachel swept her hair out of her eyes and beamed at the compliment. "Hello Sam, thank you for your praise. Can we help you something?"
Sam shook his head. "No, I just heard you from down the hall and thought I'd come check out who was playing. I didn't realise you guys were in a band."
Rachel took a breath before providing Sam with his explanation. "Yes, well as Mr Schue has no clear direction for the Glee Club other than as an end to impress and seduce Mrs Pillsbury-Howell away from her husband I decided that I needed to be pro-active in developing another outlet for my talent that would look good on my college applications."
Sam looked to Puck who shrugged and simply said. "Chicks dig dudes in bands."
Finn and Artie nodded in confirmation while Kurt gave them a mildly disgusted look before admitting. "It's not limited to girls. Blaine does seem to appreciate it."
Sam stroked his chin in thought, he was pretty sure Quinn would find him even hotter if he was in a band and if they got some decent gigs it could only boost his popularity. "Can I join?"
"I'm sorry." Rachel gave Sam a sympathetic look. "Unfortunately you don't meet the minimum requirements for participating in the band. And we already have a lead and a bass guitarist, any more would be unnecessary."
"You could always use a back-up." Sam insisted; before he went on to inquire. "What are the minimum requirements?"
"You have to have had your heart broken by Quinn Fabray." Rachel said.
Sam's jaw dropped as he looked at Rachel in shock. "What?"
Rachel gave him a sympathetic look. "We agreed when we started the band. It gives us a unique bond that brings us all closer together and ensures we're on the same page emotionally."
Finn sighed from behind the drum kit. "She broke my heart when she got with Puck and had his baby."
Puck shrugged. "We had a baby together...'nuff said."
Artie chimed in. "Quinn was my first girlfriend in kindergarten, we used to hold hands."
Sam could feel a migraine coming on, he knew about Puck and Finn and Artie was no big deal, Quinn didn't even have boobs then. But Rachel? They were mortal enemies like Sully and Quaritch.
"She broke my heart to get with you." Rachel shrugged at the shocked look on Sam's face. "But no hard feelings Sam. Quinn can deny her latent homosexuality as much as she'd like. Sooner or later she'll find her way out of Narnia. If she's lucky, I'll still be waiting. And that's a big fat if."
Sam's jaw worked in a combination of frustration and disbelief. The girl his girlfriend had professed to despise on several occasions was standing in front of him and telling him that Quinn was harbouring feelings for her. But then he saw the flaw in Rachel's reasoning. "Okay, so why is Kurt here?" He demanded.
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Quinn broke my heart when she did not take my fashion advice."
Sam did not look convinced.
Rachel shifted awkwardly from side to side. "We really needed a keyboardist."
Quinn was beginning to get irritated, Sam had arrived at her house to study over half an hour ago and he had yet to try and make a pass at her. While she would quite happily go a night without Sam's paws all over her it was clear that his attention was elsewhere and that just would not stand. "Sam! What's going on?"
Sam was startled out of his reverie and looked up from his books at Quinn. "Did you break Rachel's heart?"
Quinn's eyes bugged out of her head in shock though she could not deny the flutter she felt in her heart. "What? Who told you that?"
"Rachel did." When Quinn looked like she was about to protest Rachel's credibility Sam added. "In front of Finn, Puck, Artie & Kurt and none of them seemed surprised by it."
Quinn panicked, the conversation was starting to dredge up memories and feelings that she had worked very hard on suppressing since the end of summer, so she blurted out the first lie she could think of. "She drugged me with lesbian sex pollen."
Sam gave Quinn an unimpressed look. "Really?"
Quinn thought over her options before settling on telling the truth. "Over the summer Rachel and I got… close." Mutual depression over losing someone had blossomed into bonding over their similar type-A personalities and their friendship had transformed into an all too brief romance. "Did she really say I broke her heart?"
It was one thing for Sam to be told that Quinn was harbouring feelings for Rachel by the diva but to actually hear confirmation of a past relationship from Quinn was shocking. However he recovered quickly enough to answer her question. "Yeah, she said that you broke her heart to go out with me and that you could deny your latent homosexuality but that one day you'd find your way out of Narnia and if you were lucky she would still be waiting for you."
Quinn's heart thudded in her chest; she hadn't suspected their relationship had such an effect on Rachel that the girl was still pining for her. She had broken up with Rachel because she needed to get back on top and there was no way she could do that while maintaining a relationship with her, no matter how much it broke her heart. Rachel had seemed to take the whole thing with such aplomb that Quinn was sure that Rachel had not felt for her as deeply as Quinn had felt for her and when the girl had gotten together with Finn less than a week later Quinn was certain that she had simply been Rachel's experimentation phase. It had hurt but she knew that she was living in a situation of her own creation and had focused on reclaiming her throne as McKinley's Queen. She had intended on remaining single for her junior year as a result but then Sam had come along with his offer of a low-pressure relationship with the benefit of further securing her popularity and it had been too hard to resist. But if Rachel was waiting for her then Quinn was not going to waste any more time, she just needed to find a way to get rid of Sam.
Sam waved a hand in front of her face. "Quinn? Are you okay? You haven't said anything for like five minutes?"
Quinn pursed her lips. "Why did Rachel tell you anything about this?"
"I had to stay late after practice to talk to Coach Bieste and I heard a band practicing in the auditorium." Sam explained. "It was Rachel, Finn, Puck, Artie & Kurt. Apparently in order to be in the band you have to have had your heart broken by you."
Quinn frowned. "So why is Kurt in the band?"
"He's a ringer. They needed a keyboardist." Sam explained.
"Oh."
"Yeah, so the only way I can join is when you break my heart."
Quinn saw her opening and leapt for it with eyes narrowed. "What do you mean when I break your heart?"
Sam's eyes widened as he suddenly realised that he might be joining the band sooner than he thought.
The next day Quinn was determined to confront Rachel as soon as possible, fortunately she knew Rachel was incredibly predictable in her routine and would be getting some extra practice in at the auditorium before the bell rang for homeroom. Unfortunately for Quinn her alarm hadn't gone off that morning and she had been in a rush all morning, by the time she found Rachel on stage in the auditorium Quinn was red in the face from exertion. "Rachel, I need to talk to you!"
Rachel's eyes flew wide at the red-faced Cheerio in front of her. "Quinn, whatever the source of your anger I insist that you do not take it out on me. I missed out on my morning coffee and as a result it is too early for me to deal with your barbs. Perhaps we can reschedule for after lunch?"
"What? No! I'm not angry. I ran here from the parking lot." Quinn looked Rachel straight in the eye. "Did you mean what you told Sam yesterday?"
Rachel's eyes narrowed considerably. "I am never anything less than honest Quinn Fabray. To suggest otherwise is offensive."
Quinn held her hands up in an attempt to pacify Rachel and blurted. "I broke up with Sam."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "If this is about Sam joining the band then I must remind you that we already have two guitarists."
Quinn knew that her next move was critical; while Rachel may have told Sam that she was waiting for Quinn success was not guaranteed. She now knew that Quinn dumping her in order to become popular again must have hurt the other girl and she needed to make it up to her with a big dramatic gesture. The truth.
"Rachel, I've been trying so hard this year to get back everything I had before I got pregnant. My position as Head Cheerio, the Quarterback boyfriend, my popularity. I was so focused and I just couldn't see anything else." Quinn took a deep breath before pressing on. "And now that I have it all back all I can think about is how empty I feel." She paused before pressing on. "And how I would give anything to kiss you again."
Rachel's reaction was immediate. She looped her arms around Quinn's neck and pulled the blonde's head down for a soft kiss full of passion and yearning. Once the kiss broke Rachel made eye contact with Quinn and saw her eyes filled with the same hope and adoration she knew could be seen in her own. "How long have you felt this way Quinn?"
Quinn gave Rachel a small smile. "A while, I guess? This whole thing with you, Sam and the band just kinda made me acknowledge it."
Rachel gave a little fist pump of triumph. "I knew the band idea would do it!"
Quinn's jaw dropped in disbelief. "It was a ploy?"
Rachel shook her head. "Not totally, I meant it when I told Sam that I needed to be pro-active in developing another outlet for my talent. I just realised that I could kill two birds with one stone if I also used it to try and woo you."
Quinn grinned, that was so like her Rachel: always the multi-tasker. And she was her Rachel now. "What's it called anyway?"
"The band?" Off Quinn's nod Rachel replied. "Quinntête."
Quinn frowned in mock disappointment. "Quintet? That's kind of lame and obvious. I expected better from you Rach."
Rachel huffed in annoyance. "Not Quintet. Quinntête, as in the French for head. It's a pun. There are five of us and we are all Quinn-heads."
Quinn could tell from the look on Rachel's face that she was very pleased with herself for coming up with that name and she shook her head in disbelief. "You are such a dork."
Rachel gave Quinn her most dazzling smile and gave her an Eskimo kiss. "Your dork."
Quinn leaned in close and lightly kissed her love. "My dork."
