A/N: This is dedicated to all the Faberry authors out there who have entertained me literally almost every night for the past 3 years: poetzproblem, WaveGoodbye, InvisiMeg, FerryBerry, Whispering Molly, isabella8848, … and SO many others. (Just look at my favorites list!) I love you all! Your brilliant, hard work has inspired me to finally give back and write my own. And that's something I can say with confidence that I never would have done without your influence. So… on this last official tumblr-organized Faberry Week, I present to you my own contribution to the Faberry universe. Better late than never?

Love,
Willa

WARNING: blood, tears, and a healthy dose of angst make their appearance in this story. Sensitive readers beware. And don't say I didn't warn you. But this is Faberry. What else did you expect?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee or any of the Glee characters depicted herein. I only retain the rights to my own.


Chapter 1 - Anticipation


College, Freshman Year

"I can't believe I get to see you tomorrow! I really need this little break, even if it's just for one day."

Quinn smiled and shook her head at Rachel's enthusiasm as she looked up from her homework to her calendar above her desk. She still had a big heart on it with Rachel's name from when she visited her last.

"Rach, you were here two weeks ago. You already need a break?" replied Quinn into her phone as she took a sip of her jasmine tea.

"Well…" started Rachel.

"You're not losing the infamous Berry drive are you? Are you ill? Tell me you didn't get mono from a boy at NYADA," teased Quinn as she set down her teacup.

"Quinn! There is no boy, and there is no illness," retorted Rachel. "I just want to see my friend again. I had such an amazing time with you, getting the whole Yale tour, seeing a little of New Haven - which Kurt is still jealous of by the way."

"Yeah, the only tour of New Haven that Kurt wants are the floors of the Gotham Citi and Afterlife night clubs," scoffed Quinn. "He needs to keep it in his pants."

"Oh, it's college, Quinn. It's what we're supposed to do. Get out and... go new places, try new things."

Quinn got up from her desk, giving up on her remaining homework for the night, and headed over to her bed with her tea in one hand and her phone in the other.

"Whatever," picked up Quinn after a moment. "So what new thing do you want to try with me tomorrow?" Quinn immediately cringed and pinched the bridge of her nose at the awkward statement. "I mean… what would you like to do when you get here?"

Rachel laughed out loud, "Why, Quinn! So forward!"

Quinn's cheeks turned a shade rosier. "Shut it, Berry."

"Okay, okay. Umm, well I'd really like to go for another walk around the campus. Is there somewhere we could walk to and eat? Or maybe a quaint little bookstore you'd like to show me?" offered Rachel.

"Oh my gosh, yes! I just discovered another used book store that's not too far a walk. Should be a great day to stretch our legs. Then I was thinking… if it's okay with you, there's a party that Kyra's invited us to. It's Hawaiian themed and there'll be tropical drinks and dancing. Would you want to go?"

"Will I get a lei?"

Quinn spit out her tea while almost choking on it and heard Rachel cackling at the other end.

"Jesus, Rachel. You don't miss an opportunity, do you," Quinn finally managed as she got her breathing under control. At the same time, her petite roommate, Kyra walked in the door along with her taller friend, Hayley.

"An opportunity for what?" asked Hayley.

"An opportunity to kill me," replied Quinn, cringing again a moment later at her poor choice of words. She knew Rachel was very sensitive to the circumstances around Quinn's car accident not long ago, and would probably be feeling pangs of unnecessary guilt.

"Oh my god, you guys are still on the phone? You're going to see her tomorrow!" teased Kyra.

"Yeah yeah, we're just going over plans," retorted Quinn. "So Rachel, you okay with the party or do you just want to stay in and watch Netflix?"

"No! Rachel does not want to stay in and watch Netflix on a Saturday night, she wants to come and party with us!" Kyra answered first, leaning into the phone. "Right, Rachel?"

"Hi Kyra!" chuckled Rachel. "And yes, that sounds like fun," Rachel said with a nod to herself.

"But she wants a lei," added Quinn.

"Kinky! I'm in," quipped Hayley as she sat down on Quinn's bed and waggled her eyebrows.

"Hayles, don't scare Rachel away before she even gets here," warned Kyra.

Hayley put up both hands in surrender. "Best behavior. Promise."

Quinn shook her head slowly at Hayley, disbelievingly. "Riiiight…"

"So Quinn," continued Rachel, "what should I wear up there? Is it getting cooler now?"

Quinn shifted up further on her bed as Hayley stood and wandered over to Quinn's dresser.

"Oh, it's supposed to be pretty nice this weekend. In the 70's I think. A bit cooler at night."

"Oh, nice. So what do you think you're going to wear to the party?" asked Rachel.

"Umm, probably my light blue flower dress." Quinn looked over at her closet. "And these new shoes, which Hayley wouldn't let me leave the store without buying." Quinn trained her eyes over to Hayley, who was picking through bottles of polish on Quinn's makeup tray, and stuck out her tongue at her when Hayley looked over with a smirk.

"Oh?" asked Rachel, intrigued by Quinn taking fashion advice from anyone. "Do describe these fabulous shoes. Louboutin? Jimmy Choo?"

"Payless," chuckled Quinn. "They're open-toe wedges - ahh!" Quinn ended on a high note as she was startled when Hayley plopped down and grabbed one of her bare feet.

"You okay over there?" asked Rachel.

"Yes… it's just Hayley thinking she can grab my feet whenever she pleases and… apparently, paint my toenails," said Quinn, lifting an eyebrow and staring Hayley in the eyes.

"Oh, well that's…" started Rachel, a little unsure what to say. "I mean, I'm surprised you let her get away with that."

"She catches me off guard sometimes. Also, I don't want to spill nail polish on the bed."

Rachel was starting to get a little flustered, annoyed with the intrusion. Hayley always seemed to have impeccable timing in that regard.

"I should probably let you go then. I can't wait to see you tomorrow though."

"Me too, Rach," added Quinn.

"And I, um… I was hoping we would get the chance to talk. I really need to talk to you about something," said Rachel with renewed determination in her voice, not quite wishing to end the call like this.

"What about?" asked Quinn.

"It's something I need to talk about privately, i-in person… not over the phone," stuttered Rachel.

"Okay… are you okay?" worried Quinn, a little confused herself.

"Oh! Yes, of course. I just… I need to talk to a friend, and you're so wonderful to talk to. You're really special to me, Quinn."

"You're special to me too, Rach," Quinn tried her best and failed to say without giggling as Hayley teased a hand lightly under Quinn's foot, a devilish grin on her face.

"Good, I mean thanks." Rachel didn't understand what was so funny. "I'll… I'll let you go. I'll see you tomorrow, Quinn."

"Can't wait. See you soon, Rachel."

Quinn looked down and smiled as she reached over to her bedside table and put down her phone. She then turned back up to look at Hayley as her trouble-making friend capped the first bottle and picked up a second color she had picked out, a look of exaggerated innocence on her face. Quinn pursed her lips and squinted her eyes… then picked up a throw pillow next to her and smacked Hayley on the face.

"Rude!" exclaimed Quinn as Hayley squealed.


Rachel looked absently at her phone, thinking about the conversation that had just transpired and frowning a bit. She was on the couch with Kurt, who was watching TV and eventually looked over at her when he sensed the quiet next to him.

"You okay, Rach? You look a little… well, not how you usually look when you've just talked to Quinn."

"Yeah," said Rachel with barely a nod and a little waver in her voice.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?"

Rachel's eyes began to well immediately as emotions rose to the surface and clenched at her heart.

"Nothing."

"Come on, you can tell me. Do I have to call Quinn back and threaten her long goldie locks?" said Kurt, setting down the remote and curling his hands around Rachel's arm next to him.

"No." Rachel shook her head lightly. "No, it's not her. It's just… I get the feeling like I'm too late, Kurt." Rachel looked over at Kurt with a tear making its way down from the corner of her eye. "I'm too late figuring out my feelings for Quinn and she's… she's already being swept away by Yale and… Hayley."

"Oh, Hayley's got nothing on you. You've got superstar talent and you've got history with Quinn and…"

"And I'm in New York and right now Hayley's on Quinn's bed." Rachel closed her eyes, trying to block out any further runaway imagination.

Kurt had no answer to that. They had talked before about the bouncy dancer Rachel had met the last time she visited Quinn – the one who seemed to be able to capture Quinn's attention anytime she walked in the room, with the 'gorgeous, wavy brown hair and never-ending smile'. So he leaned over and gave Rachel a hug.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. She sounds like an attention whore." This at least made Rachel crack a smirk. "But you know what? You are going to blow her away with your new makeover. If Quinn wasn't gay for Berry before…"

"I'm going to talk to her, Kurt," said Rachel as she wiped at her eyes and nodded resolutely. "This is it. I can't wait any longer. She needs to know now. I need to know… if I even have a chance, or if I'm just going to forever be a 'good friend' to her."

"Rachel, I don't know…"

"No, Kurt! I can't… I can't lose her now. After all we've been through and… and all that we've left unsaid. I know there's something there between us. If you were only there two weeks ago. If you could've seen the way she looked into my eyes. I know there was something there. I have to give her that opportunity to open up to me, to trust me. And to let her know that I'm feeling the same thing."

Kurt sighed. "But this is Quinn we're talking about. Even if she's open to a relationship with you, she'll have a lot of pressure around her telling her to deny it, that it's a sin. And if she feels threatened? Rachel, she could turn on you in an instant. Don't pretend she hasn't done so before."

"I think you owe her more credit. A lot's changed in the last year, Kurt. She's a different woman now, and she's not in Lima anymore."

Kurt looked at her longing, determined eyes and smiled, knowing that her mind was already made up. "Just… be careful. I want my roommate back in one piece."