A/N: I have the whole thing planned already up to the very end. Originally thought it would be a 10-chapter fic, but turns out I get really verbose when I'm trying to establish the mood and once I try to get into their minds... well, it's too much fun for me to cut it short. So bear with me, this might end up being way longer than 10 chapters. Each chapter will be around 3,000- 4,000 words and since it's the summer break, I'll probably post at least 2 times a week. Enjoy, and leave a review if there is anything bothering you or if you just want to leave a word. Thank you and here we go.
Chapter 1: The Journey.
Traveling 83.3 miles takes longer than one would imagine. Well, at least it was taking more than Rachel Berry ever thought. She was sitting by herself, the seat next to her thankfully empty. She sighed, her inner voice getting more and more childish as the time progressed. Are we there yet? She certainly would march to the front and ask someone, but she knew that they weren't and her asking would not help that fact a bit. She let her head touch the window, trying not to think probably how unhygienic that was on her part. She could feel her exhaustion finally reaching her mind and even for a moment, her thoughts stopped, giving her some relief. It had been a long week. She, Rachel Berry, the diva, possibly the biggest talent to ever come out of one of the smallest towns ever, Lima, Ohio had been on stage for the first time ever since she left, even though it was only for a small group assignment. Unlike her Glee club at McKinley High, NYADA was very serious about theoretical knowledge and her professors there seemed to be determined to drill everything there was to know about music into her head before they even let her step on the stage. She smiled as she thought about her days back then. It had been almost three months since she and Finn broke up and she got on that train to New York. She had thought her life would change dramatically once Finn told her they had to break up. Her life did change, dramatically, but it was only partly due to the break up, and much as it pained her to admit, it was only a small part.
It had taken a considerably small amount time for the diva to get over her highschool romance, as she liked to call it. Yes, Finn was a fine boyfriend and he had certainly contributed to her gradual rise in the metaphorical ladder of the highschool social ranks, but in the end, it was what it was: a highschool romance. She knew she had been in love with him once, but even that love seemed a bit childish to her eyes now that she was out of the chaotic walls of McKinley High. She loved her old highschool and she couldn't deny the fact that everything she went through while she was there contributed to the person she was today, she was glad that she was finally out there, in the big city, living her dream. She shuddered at the thought that there was a time she could even consider not having what she had now because of a boy. Because, sweet as he was, that's what Finn was, a boy, and he sure needed some growing up. Maybe one day... she let her thoughts wander. No matter how hard or long she tried, she couldn't imagine a future with Finn any more. She sighed. Add that to the list of things that she needed to figure out when the right time came. Her rest was apparently over since her mind was in overdrive again. This particular time, her brain was busy going over the notes of the song "Maybe This Time" from the musical cabaret.
It is fitting after all... she thought, after all, she hadn't had the best start to her highschool career, but she wasn't doing too bad this time around at college. Yes, she had originally thought it would have been easier than it was for her with all the people around her having similar interests at least, but what Rachel Berry wasn't prepared to see was that having the same interests with a class full of people meant that the things that made you unique and made you shine in highschool were not that uncommon anymore. It was a bit frustrating in the beginning, but the small diva never backed away from any challenge. She was still having a good time, knowing that her talent was matched, and that gave her the opportunity to grow, something that she didn't really have back in highschool.
As her mind went through similar thoughts comparing and contrasting her life now and back then, she couldn't help the smile on her face grow wider. Even the fact that she was currently on her way to see her was an indication that her life had changed, wasn't it? Quinn Fabray had been the object of her admiration, her fear, her sympathy and finally, her friendship. She smiled even more when she thought about the day the cheerleader had given her the pass and told her that she wanted to keep in touch for real. No, she hadn't just told her, she had proved to her that she wanted to be involved in her life, even after highschool, especially after highschool¸her inner voice added. Without the added drama of the highschool life and raging teenager hormones, they were both more relaxed. College was a chance to start over, to get it right, to make sure none of the mistakes they had made in highschool were never repeated. Of course they would screw up again, but at least they would do it more gracefully, with more experience. Rachel Berry felt her heart swell with the knowledge that this time she had friends. It didn't matter that they were all scattered around in many different cities and locations, what mattered was that she knew for sure that if she got into trouble, her friends would do anything to help her out. It made her feel safe, it made her feel optimistic.
That was how she felt about her friendship with Quinn Fabray as well. The cheerleader wasn't exactly the warmest or the most open person she ever met, but she knew that Quinn cared about her. She cared enough to make sure we saw each other. That was something she could maybe expect from Kurt, or even for Puck for that matter, but coming from Quinn, it meant even more. 83.3 miles was really quite the distance to travel, but it at least gave Rachel the chance to think about important things. Things such as what to do when she sees the ex-cheerleader. Despite all the fuzzy warm feelings she was feeling inside, her mind was determined to keep her in control. Yes, Rachel and Quinn had been friends for a while now, and this was definitely a great opportunity to start a new, stronger phase in their relationship but she was scared. Cautious, she corrected herself. Not scared. She just didn't want to overstep her boundaries and make Quinn retreat into her shell again. She wanted to be the blonde's friend, her best friend if she let her, but that was certainly going to take some time. Rachel knew from first hand experience that the blonde fell back on her old icy personality when she felt threatened in any way. So she was cautious. She was not going to make her feel smothered. She was just going to relax and have fun with her friend Quinn. Her soon-to-be-best-friend Quinn. Rachel was not going to push too hard, but still, she was Rachel Berry and if she wanted something, she would have it, no matter what. And she wanted Quinn. Her train of thought was broken when she realized what she was just thinking. I do not want Quinn.I want her to be my friend. She then laughed at her own dirty mind for making herself self-conscious. Besides, Quinn Fabray was, and is, she added, one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Anyone to cross paths with Quinn would want her, that was just the laws of physics. Right, back to the task now brain. How to greet her? She had tried out almost every possible outcome of her seeing Quinn for the first time after three months of separation. In the end, she decided on a simple greeting, she would smile, of course I would smile, she thought, and call her name, hi Quinn!, and then warn the blonde about the upcoming hug she would receive. That sounds considerate enough, she thought to herself.
Another half an hour passed and finally she was there, in New Haven. She couldn't help but feel nervous. Keep calm, she muttered. She got slightly mad at herself when her hands didn't comply with her brain and just kept on trembling. She was there, with her small pink suitcase on the ground next to her leg, waiting for Quinn to show up.
Quinn Fabray was there already. She stood where she was, waiting for the brunette to notice her. She didn't blame Rachel for not noticing her right away. Quinn knew she looked different, very different from the last time Rachel saw her back in Lima, Ohio. The first thing Quinn Fabray did when she got to New Haven, well the first thing after her mother apologized for being so distant before for the umphteenth time was to change her wardrobe. She didn't even need to do much, really, she hadn't packed most of her dresses anyway. See, her plan was perfect, she had prepared two suitcases, one full of clothes to go to charity and one to take to New Haven with her. She was finally getting out of Lima, she was starting a new life. A new leaf, by all means, a clean sheet, and all the other suitable metaphors. Because metaphors are important, she thought to herself, the voice in her mind mimicking the brunette. She wondered for a moment if it was creepy for her to just stay there and watch Rachel get more and more frustrated by the second. The thought of the diva getting anxious and maybe even doing another one of her signature storm outs amused her. She shook her head at herself. She didn't like upsetting the diva but she enjoyed teasing her. She always did. Quinn checked her reflection in the window across the station hall. Her hair was cropped short again, the way she liked it, and she was wearing dark skinny jeans and a hoodie. She decided not to let Rachel wait any longer when she saw her stomp her foot on the ground and check her watch. She was suddenly nervous. She didn't know what to say when she met Rachel, which had never been a problem up to then. This was a new setting and out of their small town context, she didn't know who exactly they were. She just knew that the small brunette standing by the door was her friend. The only one besides Santana and Brittany to support her through all the things she went through in highschool, without any good reason. She shook her head again, this time to clear her thoughts. Quickly, she made her way to the diva and tapped her on the shoulder.
Rachel Berry turned on her heels so fast, she made herself dizzy. Or it was the sudden sight of the woman she was expecting to see and just how real she was. Yeah, that was the adjective to describe the Quinn she found. Real. Quinn looked different. It's not just the clothes, Rachel thought, it's the way she looks at me. Yes, Rachel and Quinn had been friends by the end of their senior year but even then when Quinn looked at her, Rachel could see the burdens of the past clouding Quinn's eyes. Quinn Fabray was never really there. There was always a part of her deep in the shadows, there was always a part of her she kept behind. It didn't seem to be the case any longer. Rachel realized none of them had said anything since Quinn tapped her on the shoulder while looking at her hazel eyes. "Hey! Quinn, hi!" she managed to say when Quinn pretty much threw herself at her, enveloping the smaller girl in a tight embrace. "Hi, Rachel. I missed you." Quinn said, and it was the simple truth. She really did miss the diva, she missed seeing her every day at school, she missed hearing her sing, she missed her long rants. "I missed you, too, Quinn." Rachel wrapped her arms tightly around the blonde's waist and let herself just feel the warmth of her body. They stepped back a couple of moments later, reluctantly. "How was the travel?" Quinn asked, trying to compose herself and stopping herself from tackling the brunette again.
"It was longer than I thought, actually. But since I'm finally here in one piece and all, you'd better tell me you have something fun planned for us to do this weekend," said Rachel, all in one breath. That was what she did best when she felt flustered like she did now. When in doubt, speak. That was her motto. She relaxed a little when she saw the blonde grin at her.
"Oh, don't worry. We will have fun." Rachel couldn't help but smile at the response. "But first, let's get you to my dorm so you can tell me all about your trip and NYADA and your roommate." With that, Quinn grabbed Rachel's suitcase, despite the brunette's protests and started walking towards her car.