Lost & Found
A/N: the title is from Lost & Found by Eve 6. It's a great song with great lyrics. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.
It starts like this: she's drinking and dancing with some friends the first time she sees her. She's brunette, and rather short, and she's alone. She's sipping a bright orange drink, bopping her head and swaying to the music. She's beautiful. Quinn wants to know her name, wants to buy her another drink, wants to hear her voice.
"I love this bar", Mercedes speaks over the music.
"Great atmosphere", Mike nods. "The music's awesome."
"Great people", Tina says, gesturing around her. "We should come here more often."
Quinn nods, and decides to strike up a conversation with one of those great people. She makes her way over to the brunette and smiles. "Hi. I'm Quinn."
They really do come to the bar more often, and Quinn learns that the beautiful brunette's name is Rachel. She learns that she always drinks that bright orange stuff and that it tastes disgusting (Rachel tastes great though, and she knows this because one time she steals a quick kiss from her that they never talk about). She learns that Rachel is really driven and really intense and really funny.
Quinn talks about herself, too, and this is surprising. She doesn't like to talk about herself. But Rachel is always asking questions, and she seems genuinely interested. Quinn doesn't mind that they still haven't exchanged last names or telephone numbers. She doesn't mind that they only ever see each other in that bar, and that she never knows if Rachel will be there or not. She doesn't mind much of anything when Rachel is pressed up against her or laughing at her silly jokes or looking at her like that.
Sometimes, Rachel will be at the bar alone, and sometimes, she will be with friends (Sam and Blaine, she tells Quinn). She never actually introduces Quinn to any of them and Quinn doesn't introduce her to Mercedes, Tina or Mike. It's always only the two of them, even though they can see their friends pointing at them and whispering.
"Are you ever going to ask her out?", Mike asks, when Quinn is back at their table.
She looks at Rachel who waves goodbye and then disappears from her line of sight, and she sighs. "Soon."
She thinks that maybe Rachel wishes she could sing, because some nights, the stage is open to anyone, and on those nights, she catches a wistful look on the brunette's face. Rachel knows a lot about music, and she always listens intently when someone sings, but Quinn never comments.
She thinks that Rachel has a beautiful speaking voice, and that she could actually be a really good singer.
"You should go up there", someone near them says, and it takes Quinn a few seconds to realize that it was directed at Rachel.
"Soon", Rachel says, and to Quinn it sounds exactly the same way she feels about asking her on an actual date: like something she really wants to do, but is slightly afraid of. Like she just waits for the right moment.
Quinn spins her around and kisses her and neither of them pays attention to the stage or the music for the rest of the night.
Out of the corner of her eye, she notices a girl trying to charm the barkeeper into giving her free drinks. "You've had enough", the barkeeper says.
"It's never enough", the girl says. "Nothing is ever enough." And then she drags the guy next to her to the dance floor, ignoring his disturbed expression that clearly says "Who the hell are you?" and proceeds to grind against him.
"That girl has serious problems", Quinn says and shakes her head.
"Who?", Rachel asks.
"That Latina over there", Quinn points. "I've seen her around, and she's always kind of….well, I'd say her behavior was entertaining if it wasn't so sad to watch."
Rachel is still for a moment. "You don't know anything about her."
"One of my friends shares some classes with her and he says she's a bitch most of the time."
"Sometimes she sings here", Rachel says. "She's really good."
Quinn scoffs. "Anyone can sing. It's like, the most common talent." She knows it's the wrong thing to say before she even opens her mouth, but she doesn't expect Rachel to react that angry: she untangles herself from Quinn's embrace and gives her a little shove and a hard glare.
Quinn thinks that maybe she is about to get a lecture, but all Rachel says is "See you around, Quinn", and then she's gone.
"What did I do wrong?", Quinn asks, head in her hands.
"Maybe she'll come tonight", Mercedes comforts, but Quinn knows Rachel won't show up. She hasn't seen her for two weeks and she really, really misses the girl.
"Why have you never asked for her number?", Tina wonders.
"I don't know", Quinn answers, but she knows perfectly well. She hasn't liked someone the way she likes Rachel in a long time, and she was afraid of screwing it up. "Good job", she mumbles sarcastically to herself.
"Oohh, Santana's here!", Kurt exclaims.
"Who?", Quinn asks, even though she doesn't really care. He points at a brunette, but it's not the brunette Quinn is interested in. She looks familiar, though.
"That's the bitch!", Mercedes shouts, and that's when Quinn recognizes the Latina from three weeks back. The last time she saw Rachel.
"Well, yes", Kurt says, "But she's here with Rachel, so she won't be as bitchy."
What?
"What?"
"Over there", Kurt gestures. "Rachel. She and Santana are really close, and Santana's like a totally different person with her. I mean, she's not always a bitch, she can actually be really cool when she wants to. But with Rachel, she's nice. And when they're together, she's mostly civil to the people around her."
Quinn groans and Kurt shoots her a confused look. Mercedes and Tina whisper something to him, and his confusion clears. "This is what I was missing while I was busy studying?"
"Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"How was I to know your Rachel and my Rachel are the same?"
"Your Rachel?", Quinn growls.
"Not mine, I mean…just…Jesus, Quinn, don't glare at me like that. My Rachel, as in, the Rachel I know. Not well, of course, just…I know who she is."
"But Quinn talks about her constantly", Mike interjects. "Didn't she ever sound familiar?"
"Well, there was never any mention of singing", Kurt shrugs. "Singing is like, her life."
Quinn groans again.
Mercedes again whispers something into Kurt's ear, and his eyebrows shoot up. "Oh."
Quinn sighs. "I'm fucked."
Quinn desperately wants to go over there and talk to Rachel, but she's kind of intimidated by the daggers Santana's eyes are shooting at her. She's trying to muster up some courage when suddenly the music stops and the lights change and there's some guy with a microphone on the stage. "We have something very special for you guys tonight", he announces. "One of our favorite guests has something prepared. Santana?"
Santana leaves Rachel's side and goes up on stage, and it's clear that she's going to sing, but Quinn still thinks that this is some kind of mistake, because the guy just said "favorite guest", and surely, he meant someone else?
But then the Latina takes the microphone and Quinn's friends all turn to look at her when they see Santana blowing a kiss to Rachel and the brunette grinning and clapping. "I've been in a very bad mood recently", she starts, and Quinn can hear Kurt mumble "No shit" and her friends laughing but she's still focused on Rachel and the way her eyes sparkle as her eyes are fixed on the stage.
"But", Santana continues, "today's a very special day. I guess you could say it's an anniversary for", and now she locks eyes with Rachel, "that girl over there I'm sure you all know", and the crowd is cheering, "and me. But I can't give you any details, because Rachel would kill me." The whole bar is laughing except for Quinn's table.
"Are they…", Mike begins, but he wisely chooses not to finish his question.
Quinn's eyes sting and her insides burn and her head hurts and she really wishes she could just leave, but she needs to know what this is all about.
"Don't think I didn't see that little shocked gasp", Santana says, pointing at Rachel. "You thought I'd forgotten."
Rachel giggles, and Quinn's heart almost stops.
Soft music starts in the background. It's slow, and sexy and seductive. "Do you remember", Santana asks, "the time I insulted your stage presence and you told me the only career I was going to have was dancing on a pole?" The music gets louder, drowning out the cat-calls and whistles. "Well…", the Latina breathes, wiggling her eyebrows. And then the music stops, and she grins. "Just kidding. I don't have a pole."
The lights change again, and another kind of music starts. Quinn thinks she might know it, but she can't concentrate on anything right now.
"I have a song for you. And I'm sure you'll know why I chose this song specifically. I love you, okay? Don't ever forget that."
Fifteen seconds later, Quinn realizes she really knows the song. And she realizes that Santana really is good. "Emotional" never sounded so intense.
Tina asks her if she wants to go, but she shakes her head. Sure, it's a little bit masochistic to watch Santana sing "I get so emotional baby, every time I think of you" to Rachel, but she also doesn't think she could move right now. Not moving means staying. Staying means seeing Rachel place both of her hands over her heart and mouthing something to Santana that looks at lot like "I love you, too".
When the song is over, the crowd cheers again, and the two brunettes hug. And while Santana is greeted with a water bottle from the barkeeper, Rachel is being pulled onto the stage and a microphone is shoved into her hands.
"You get a kick out of embarrassing me, don't you?", Rachel says.
"Sing!", someone shouts, and soon the whole bar is chanting for Rachel to sing.
"Aw, did you guys miss my voice?", Rachel asks.
There's a chorus of "yes!", and she grins. "Well, then I'm happy to inform you that the doctors said the infection is gone and I'm free to put my vocal chords to work again. I had a really hard time not breaking into song these past few months!"
Quinn watches her fascinated and she thinks Rachel on a stage is even more breath-taking than Rachel dancing or Rachel telling a story about her father's cooking mishaps.
"Santana, you're my best friend. Thank you for your great performance, and don't think we won't be having a chat about your song choice later. I have a surprise for you, too, and I'm glad you decided to go first, because my surprise was running a little bit late."
Santana looks confused, and Quinn is holding her breath for what's coming.
And then, Rachel starts to sing, and it's unlike anything Quinn has ever heard before. She doesn't have any words for how amazing Rachel is, and she doesn't need to look at her friends to know they're in awe, too. Rachel's voice gives her goose bumps and her heart races and she's pretty sure the expression on her face is somewhere between stunned and love-struck right now.
Rachel is singing "Parachute", and Quinn knows at least three versions of the song, but nothing has ever sounded like this. Santana actually looks like she might cry for a minute, but then something changes, on her face and in Rachel's voice. It sounds different, now, and it's not until the second verse that it becomes clear the something different is a second voice singing. A tall blonde joins Rachel on stage, and Santana is really crying now. The two girls sound incredible together.
When the song is over, Rachel whispers "Surprise" into the microphone and the blonde flies off the stage and meets Santana in a bone-crushing hug. Rachel thanks the audience and the crowd goes so wild with applause that Quinn fears her eardrums might burst, but she's perfectly okay with that, because she's clapping and cheering and shouting louder than anyone else.
"She has troubles expressing her emotions", Rachel says. "She was really missing Brittany, as they haven't been able to visit each other for almost half a year, which is why she may have come off a little bitchy recently. Well, more than usual, anyway", she explains.
Quinn is amazed that Rachel actually came over to talk to her, in front of her friends, after not having seen or spoken to each other for three weeks. She's really happy to get the chance to make things right with Rachel, but…
"She didn't seem to have any troubles expressing her emotions for you out there", she assesses.
"We've come a long way. She was my worst enemy before she became my best friend. Our anniversary…that song she sang – it's the first song we sang together in High School. It was the first time we didn't insult each other, the first time we worked together without people fearing we might kill each other. It was the start of our friendship."
Quinn doesn't say anything.
Mercedes nudges her. "It's a good explanation, Quinn."
Tina and Mike nod, and Kurt gives her a thumbs-up.
"I apologize for any misunderstandings this little show might have caused. And I apologize for avoiding you for two weeks-"
"Three", Quinn interrupts.
"I was actually busy the second week. Active avoidance only took place the first and third week, therefore-"
"Rachel", Quinn interrupts again.
"Right", the brunette nods. "Sorry. You know, it would've been so much easier if you had just asked for my number, because then we'd-"
"You're set on making this my fault, aren't you?", Quinn asks.
"Well", Rachel blushes. "Yes. I was looking forward to you trying to make it up to me", she admits with a smile.
Quinn laughs, and it feels great. Everything feels great. "What's your last name?"
"Berry", Rachel answers.
"Rachel Berry, would you do me the honor of trusting me with your phone number? I would only use it for respectable causes, such as asking you about your day, commenting on your beauty, and asking you out on dates."
"You want to ask me on a date via telephone conversation?", Rachel shrieks.
"I was thinking text message", Quinn shrugs.
Rachel breathes in and out a few times, throwing her hands up in the air and shaking her head.
"I think you're breaking her", Kurt says amusedly.
"This is not funny", Rachel glares. "But if you refuse to do this the right way…Quinn…"
"Fabray", Quinn supplies.
"Quinn Fabray, I'd be honored if you'd let me take you out on a date. I really like you, and it makes me happy to spend time with you."
"Okay", Quinn agrees.
"Okay? Just okay? This is not going to-" She doesn't get any further, because Quinn cuts her off with a kiss, and she really wants to be upset that Quinn interrupts her so much, but she can't find it in herself when the girl makes her feel so good.
"I really like you, too", Quinn whispers in her ear.
She's dancing with Rachel in their favorite bar, and all of their friends – Tina and Mike and Mercedes and Kurt and Santana and Brittany and Sam and Blaine – are there, and someone is singing on the stage and everyone is having fun.
"You should go up there", Quinn suggests. "I love it when you sing."
"Any special requests?", Rachel asks.
Quinn shrugs. "I thought, maybe…you could…I mean…"
Rachel looks at her strangely, and Quinn can't bring herself to say what she wants to say. Sometimes, she's still scared of screwing everything up, because Rachel's all kinds of perfect.
But then Rachel is on the stage, whispering something to the band, and when the microphone is handed to her and the music starts, she says "This is for my girlfriend, Quinn", and Quinn knows she doesn't need to be so scared. Because Rachel's all kinds of perfect, but most of all, she's perfect for her.
It ends like this: they lay together in the dark, and they whisper "I love you" and they show each other how much. It's the end of the story of how they found each other and the beginning of everything else.