A/N: Hey there! This is my second fic (: Now, this will be a multi chapter one and I was ok with the first part of this first chapter but the end not so much. It's gonna be angsty for a while but it will all end well I promise. As all writers, I enjoy some constructive criticism. No, seriously, please tell me if there's something I can improve about this end that doesn't sit right with me entirely. But mostly, enjoy. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters.

Metaphors

"Quinnie! Let's go, we're gonna be late!" Judy Fabray yelled at her daughter for the umpteenth time that morning.

"I'm coming!"

After another good 5 minutes, the elder Fabray went upstairs to see what was taking Quinn so long. "Seriously, Quinnie, I think it is extremely rude for the valedictorian to be late for her own graduation ceremony. What's taking you so long?"

The blonde girl was sitting in her bed trying to wrap a tiny box with a piece of paper decorated with a gold star pattern. She was fighting a losing battle. Frustration was evident in her face as well has her previous attempts judging from the crumpled pieces of paper littering the floor and the bed.

"Mom, it has to be perfect but I can't get it right. I've been trying for hours!" The girl whined showing the partially wrapped box to her mother.

"What is it?"

"It's Rachel's graduation present"

Judy smiled knowingly at her daughter. She knew what was in this box; after all, she was with Quinn at the mall when it was bought.

It was a lovely day and both Fabray women decided that a shopping trip to the mall would be nice. They were strolling through the place talking animatedly and looking at stuff they would like to buy when Quinn saw it in the window of a small jewelry store.

"Mom! Oh my God, it's perfect! What do you think? For Rachel?"

It was a shiny gold star necklace. It was discrete but beautiful at the same time and knowing her daughter's girlfriend it was very fitting. She liked Rachel and the way she seemed to make her baby girl beyond happy.

"Quinnie, buy it." Judy handed her daughter the credit card with a smile. If anyone asked her, the tiny brunette and both of her fathers deserved the world for the way they had helped her daughter when Russell had kicked her out and she'd been too much of a coward to stand up for him.

She gave a little chuckle and took the box from the girl's hands making quick work of wrapping it properly. "You know sweetie, if I didn't know you better I'd say you were just a little nervous. You'll be perfectly fine, no need to worry about a thing. You'll do fine with your speech and Rach will love her present. Then both of you are gonna have the most amazing summer holidays before going off to New York"

Quinn sighed and was grateful for that "Mom-gene" that made these kinds of things so easy for a mother. Crafts, embarrassing her in front of Rachel, knowing what she felt without having to actually say it out loud, saying the exact word to make her feel better. You name it and a mom could do it for sure. She thought that, considering Beth and all, she would have developed it somehow but she guessed it ran deeper than childbirth.

"I know it's silly but I can't help it mom. I guess it's just the idea of college and everything that comes with it. At least I know you got my back."

"Damn right I do, now hurry up and get in the car please."

The drive to William McKinley High School took only ten minutes and they actually arrived with two complete hours to spare. Moms and their exaggerated perception of time. The ceremony was being held in the gym so they started walking towards it so they could get seats for Judy and Rachel's dads, Hiram and Leroy, right at the front.

Quinn was surprised that when they entered the gym Hiram was already seated in the front row and was waving at them to join him though her tiny girlfriend was nowhere in sight. She looked over to the small group of students milling around the bleachers but the brunette starlet wasn't there either. Now that she thought of it, possibly getting to spend two hours before this whole thing started with the brunette diva sounded awesome. Maybe she had gone to the bathroom or something.

"She had Leroy drive her back to the house, it seems she forgot something." Supplied Hiram as he guessed who the blonde cheerleader was looking for. "They should be here in twenty minutes."

"Oh, ok then, thank you Mr. Berry."

The two adults started talking about how time flew and it was only yesterday that they had uttered their first words. Moving away from the trip down memory lane both parents were on, the blonde girl sat down and figured would have to wait. There wasn't even one of the other Glee members, it was way too early. Guess they don't have an exaggerating mother or Rachel's regard for punctuality. Suddenly she got an idea and pulled out her cell phone to text the diva. Maybe she could use this time and give Rach her present in a very special way.

-Hey babe, I just got here and your dad told me you had gone back to your house. Can I ask you for a favor? I have a surprise for you (:

After checking her text was grammatically correct since Rachel absolutely hated text speak she sent it hoping for a quick response and as always the little diva didn't disappoint. She was on her way to the now empty choir room when her phone buzzed and alerted her to a new text message.

-Oh, I wanted to get there before you. ): I'm on my way back right now. Sure you can baby, and you know how much I love surprises. Almost as much as I love you! (:

She sat down in her usual place for Glee Club practice and texted back.

-Aww baby, I love you too! When you get here can you meet me in the choir room?

-Ok, I'll see you there sweetheart. (;

-Hurry back! I miss you. 3

Quinn sat back twirling the little box between her fingers and let the memories from this room come back to her. The old choir room had certainly seen its fair share of drama with the Glee Club. She remembered the time where she first joined New Directions because she felt "Man Hands" was trying to take Finn away. How lonely she had felt after the whole babygate debacle. Rachel being the only one of the Glee clubbers that showed her any kindness not caring if Finn would get mad at her. How she had literally bumped into a freshly showered brunette coming out of the bathroom with only a very small towel on the first night she spent in the Berry household. The time they were home alone and the power went out so Rachel, who was really a coward, insisted on Quinn sleeping in her room so no serial killer could get to her and deprive the world of her talent. Their first kiss the next morning, after Quinn had checked the house for any possible threats, and all the others after that. The first time they said (or screamed in Quinn's case) I love you to each other on that improvised date one night.

Quinn was startled out of her reverie when her phone rang and it was her girlfriend's ringtone. She checked her watch and saw that she had been there for almost forty minutes. Why was Rachel calling her?

"Hey baby, I'm in the choir room are you here already?"

There was a sob on the other end of the line and then Rachel struggled to answer. "Quinn, I can't..I..help me."

The blonde froze, Rachel's voice sounded strained and she was breathing hard. "Baby, are you okay? Where are you? What happened? You're scaring me."

"It hurts."

Rachel's pained voice and the subsequent silence spurred the cheerleader to run toward her mother and Hiram. "Rachel it's gonna be okay baby just keep talking to me and it'll be alright."

There was no answer and Quinn could practically swear her heart had skipped a beat or two. "RACHEL! ARE YOU STILL THERE! RACHEL PLEASE!"

By then, tears were falling over her pale cheeks and when Judy and Hiram looked at her both parents knew that something was terribly wrong.

"Quinnie? Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"It's Rachel…I….I"

"Rachel what Quinn?" Hiram was positively frightened at the notion that the distraught look on the blonde's face might have anything to do with his daughter.

"I think there's been an accident."

The former cheerleader knew they had to do something soon. She turned around as Hiram was calling the hospital where Leroy worked asking about any incoming trauma and quickly discovered that both Berrys were being taken there. However, she had to make see that her girlfriend and love of her life was okay by herself. "Mom, give me the keys to the car, please." Quinn knew that all three of them should probably go but the brunette had called HER, not her dad, HER, and she would be damned if she wasn't gonna make it alright for her little diva. The look on the girl's face told Judy not to fight with her on this and she simply produced said kiss from her pocket and handed them over. She turned to the door and started running towards the parking lot. Just as she was about to get through the doors she bumped into Santana.

"Hey Tubbers, where are you going?" The Latina grabbed her by the arm to stop her once she noticed she was crying and shaking. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

Suddenly the cheerleader couldn't take it anymore and fell to the ground sobbing uncontrollably. "It's Rach, she was coming back from her house and there was an accident, she just called me and she sounded so hurt and then she didn't answer me anymore and…she has to be ok, I don't know what I'll do if she's not."

"Calm down, there's no use in you freaking out like this. Can you drive or do you need me to help you?"

"I think I can do it but the speech Santana, and the glee club performance…"

"Don't worry about anything else but smurfette. Tell her that she better be okay 'cause she has no right scaring us like that or else I'll kick her ass alright?"

"Thank you."

"GO!"

Crap, the Latina had no idea how she was gonna pull off a valedictorian speech and not one but two solos for the song they had prepared. She pulled out her phone and started texting away.