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Rachel remembers the first time she opened her locker to find an encouraging note with no signature. She had just gotten out of a particularly gruesome glee club meeting, walking slowly and taking even breaths so she wouldn't let the unshed tears fall from her eyelashes. Though it was stupid to think so, Rachel had been under the impression that the fellow glee clubbers were finally taking a genuine liking towards the brunette. She had been proven wrong though, and again had been let down, and again reminded that people never stuck around in her life. So needless to say, when she opened her locker to find a small, folded up piece of pink paper Rachel was confused. And intrigued.

She had taken many glances around her, almost already hearing one of the Cheerio's mocking laughter or the sting of a slushie hitting her right in the face. It would've just fit in quite perfectly given how the rest of Rachel's afternoon had gone so far. After making absolutely sure that yes, the hallway was most definitely as vacant as she thought it was, she bent down and delicately picked up the folded up pink mystery. Biting her lip in anticipation, she unfolded it to find three words written in nice, printed hand writing that looked like it belonged to a girl: Stay strong, Rachel!

And that's when the tears made their way in trails down her cheeks. In that one second, she felt so grateful and so wanted that she had no other choice but to shed happy tears. She couldn't express how much she had needed to see those words right then. Rachel smiled and studied the handwriting again, hoping she'd recognize who the handwriting belonged to so she could write a thank you note in return, but came up blank. Who on earth could it possibly be?

Rachel would love to say the note had come from her on and off again love interest, Finn Hudson, but she knew that was impossible for many reasons. One, the handwriting was way too girly to belong to Finn. Two, that would just be way too considerate of Finn. Sure, the boy was definitely kind some times, but a lot of the time he was just an insecure wreck who valued what every one else thought of him too much to ever stick up for his outcast of a girlfriend. But it had to be someone she knew fairly well if they had known that Rachel had been having a less than spectacular day.

Rachel would be lying if she said she wasn't dying with curiosity. But for now she decided to let it remain a mystery and just accept it. For now, anyway.

Quinn Fabray wasn't sure when she decided she would slip a note in Rachel Berry's locker, the idea had just sort of came to her. She had been sitting in her normal spot in the glee club room, staring lazily off into space while she waited for Mr. Schue to arrive for practice, when the bullying started up.

It started out quietly, barely a whisper, but enough to peak Quinn's attention. Normally she guessed that she would also be throwing her own cruel remarks about the diva in herself, but lately she had just grown plain sick of it. She didn't know if she was sick of the bullying of Rachel period or if it was the fact that they could at least be a little bit more original - half of the things they directed at the girl were things the blonde had made up herself out of pure boredom and now were the insults were extremely lackluster.

But the thing that really got to Quinn is when she looked up into those expressive eyes. For a minute, she was rendered absolutely speechless by all the emotions shining clearly in them. There were so many of them but there was one that stuck out way more than the others: betrayal.

Quinn gulped and again felt an unbelievable swarm of guilt at the bottom of her stomach that Rachel could only make her feel to that intensity. She knew she would probably never say it out loud to Rachel for her to hear, but Quinn honestly was sorry for all the nasty things she'd done to the singer over the years and even continued to do a little in to this year to heighten her chances of winning the title of prom queen. But she knew now that any chance she had to make amends with the girl was long gone now, especially after how she'd tricked her before Regionals, inspiring the girl's solo ballad Get it Right. But even though the idea of any real friendship between the girls were long gone, that still didn't stop her from wanting to do something.

But before Quinn even got a chance, the brunette was storming out the door followed by loud laughter from the other members. Hot anger aroused in Quinn. Yes, she was aware that not too long ago that was very much something she would do - and worse - but she didn't want to be that person anymore. She just couldn't be.

"Guys," Brittany Pierce said with a tone full of sadness, "that wasn't very nice."

The latina to her left rolled her eyes and groaned. But when she caught sight of the dancer and saw she wasn't kidding she smiled and placed a hand on her arm. "Relax, B," Santana reassured her with a grin, "I'm sure our little Smurfette will cry, sing some sad Barbra Striesand song or whatever, and get over it just like she always does."

Brittany frowned, obviously disappointed in her too-intimate-to-be-a-best-friend-but-not-girlfriend's reply as she turned her head and whispered, "That doesn't make it okay, San."

Tuning out the rest of her two friends' conversation, she turned to her boyfriend. "I'm going to go use the ladies room," her mouth informed him before her brain could process what she was doing, "if Mr. Schue comes in while I'm gone, make sure to tell him I'm here, 'kay babe?"

Finn smiled and lifted his arm off his girlfriend's shoulder so she could get up. "I'll be waiting."

Quinn winked and got up, her sub-conscious reeling with an idea unknown to herself. She paused as Santana cruelly called out to her back, "Say hola to Man-Hands for me if you see her!"

The blonde gritted her teeth and marched out of the room, determined to accomplish her mission.

At first, Quinn thought she might be going to find Berry and apologize on the club's behalf. But as she mulled that plan over, she realized it wasn't that brilliant considering the ex-Cheerio's captain was probably the last person Berry would want to see right now. But then, what was she doing out here? She obviously wasn't here to use the restroom.

She eventually found herself standing in front of Rachel's locker, a place she could find blind-folded. At times she thought she probably knew the way to the diva's locker better than Santana's or Brittany's. But that's not for any specific reason, she reminded herself nervously, it's only because her locker's so close to Finn's. Nodding with self-assurance, she wondered what her sub-conscious was wanting her to do that involved Berry's locker.

Then it came to her: a note. It was brilliant! That way, Rachel would never have to find out it was her and Quinn could sleep better at night knowing that she'd at least brightened one of Berry's days. Not that it bothered her that much, anyway. She fished out a pen and piece of paper from her bag, which no one had realized she'd even brought with her to a simple trip to the restroom. But she wasn't about to complain, because right now it was coming entirely in handy.

But what should she write? What do you write to your arch enemy from as long as you can remember to brighten their bad day? I'm sorry? Life sucks? You're amazing (just the way you are)? No, it was all either too stupid, too predictable, or not meaningful enough. She needed this to be perfect.

She held up the piece of paper against the girl's locker and tapped her foot in thought. Finally, she became satisfied with three simple words: Stay strong, Rachel! She smiled and slipped it into the girl's locker and began to walk away, satisfied. A huger part of her than the girl would like to admit wanted to stay and watch Rachel's reaction, but she knew she couldn't. That would just be way too easy to figure out. And she sort of wanted to maybe keep it going a while.

Because really, what's the harm in making Berry feel good about herself every once in a while?

Rachel entered her home later that day with a noticeable pep in her step. The letter she had received earlier had no doubt lifted her spirits, and thinking about it again just made her curious all over again. What girl would do that for Rachel? Did she even have any girl friends? Shaking her head, she remembers her vow from earlier to just accept it and not question it too much. The task in itself should be easy, but for someone as inquisitive as Rachel Berry, is near impossible.

"Hey, baby girl!" Her daddy greets her as he walks down the hall. He engulfs her in a warm hug and Rachel leans into it. He leans back and takes in his daughter's glowing face. "Why, you look awful happy there, Rach. Did you and Finn make up today?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, Daddy," she sighed deeply, "I already told you that, while in theory it would seem like Finn and I are destined to be together, we are simply incompatible when it comes to love. He's with Quinn Fabray again, remember?"

"Right, of course," her daddy nodded seriously causing Rachel to smile, "Well, then, what's got my daughter so happy? Is it a boy?"

"No, Daddy, no boy. Well not that I'm aware of, anyway. If you must know the reason why my spirits are lifted, Daddy, I will tell you that I received some very kind words on a piece of paper today. Someone stuck it into my locker, but they didn't sign it, unfortunately."

"Uh-oh, our little Rachel has a secret admirer!" He announced loudly causing their starlet to blush profusely.

"Daddy!" Rachel giggled with a wide grin. "It's not a secret admirer. It's just someone sending me a very kind note that may or may not have made my day."

Her daddy snickered, "Whatever you say, darling. Do you have any idea who this not secret admirer might be, Rach?"

Rachel shook her head. "Absolutely no idea. It was too girly to be Finn's. But I have no idea what girl would care enough about me to write a note and stick it in my locker. Except maybe Brittany, but that doesn't really seem like the sort of thing she would do, and anyway it's not like we are best friends, so..."

"You never know with people, Rach," her daddy said with a shrug, "Hey, what about that one boy? Uh...Kurt? Didn't he have a friend who came over a few times with him?"

"You mean Mercedes?" Rachel clarified and in reply got an eager nod from her daddy confirming that that was the girl he had been talking about. "Well, I suppose it could be her. We did become some sort-of pretty good friends through Kurt, and she does know where my locker is." Rachel nodded. "Yeah, it could definitely be her."

"Well, there you go! Why don't you try asking her tomorrow at school? You know, subtlely slide it into the conversation. You're dad will be home soon and he can teach you all about that. You know how he finally ended up asking me out on a date for the first time, don't you?"

"Yes, Daddy, I know all about it. I've heard you and Daddy reminisce about many times, thank you." Rachel gave her daddy a playful grin to her Daddy, whom in return playfully whacked her with the washcloth he held in his hand.

"Shush, daughter, or I may have to send you off to live with the pigeons!" Her daddy warned her.

Rachel gasped dramatically. "Never!"

He smiled and shook his head, and gazed at the window - probably waiting to see his husband's car pull into their driveway. Rachel felt a swell of appreciation that she wasn't one of the many, many kids in the world who had divorced parents. She didn't know what she would do without her Dad and Daddy.

Rachel slipped away quietly, leaving her daddy to her thoughts, while she wandered off to her room with a promise to study for a test, but really to stare lazily up at the ceiling with thoughts about the pink note she had found in her locker that afternoon.

She wondered if there was going to be one waiting for her tomorrow.

A/N: Yes, I'm still doing Dismantle in Repair. I just hit a huge writer's block with it and decided to take a little break from it until I get ideas for it. (If you have ideas for DIR, please PM me!) But anyway, what do you think of this one? I'm so inspired for Faberry right now, it's sort of ridiculous. I *cough* kinda got in a debate with my family yesterday at dinner with why Quinn was a lesbian and has a crush on Rachel *cough*