Rachel slowly walked out onto the stage. Quinn was standing out in the empty theater expectantly tapping her foot.
When she got the typed note in her locker telling her to be in the theater at 3:00 that day, she wasn't expecting Ms. Rachel Berry to step into the single spotlight in the dark auditorium.
"What the hell is going on Rachel?" Quinn choked out through frustrated tears. "I thought the note was from Finn! I thought he dumped you for me! I thought we were getting back together, and everything was going back to the way it's supposed to be!"
"Finn didn't dump me, I dumped him-" Rachel explained.
"Oh, great." Quinn interrupted. "So you took him from me just to toss him aside! You're so-"
"You didn't let me finish." Rachel's eyes began to water. "I dumped him, for you."
Quinn stood frozen in shock, unable to move or speak. Rachel took her silence as an opportunity to explain herself.
"I've always liked you, Quinn." she said. "That's why it hurt so much when you tortured me. That's why I was always stealing your boyfriends. I didn't want them to have you, they didn't deserve you. You're amazing Quinn. Your trembly alto, it isn't as finely tuned as mine, but it's really, really good. And I meant it when I said you were the prettiest girl I've ever met. I also meant it when I said you're so much more than that. So, I have a song for you."
Quinn still frozen watched every move Rachel made as she prepared to sing.
The song started and Quinn chuckled, knowing the girl must have been eaves-dropping on conversations between her and Santana earlier that week when she had told the Latina that it was her favorite song.
"The way you move is like a full on rainstorm and I'm a house of cards." Quinn finally realized why Rachel's eyes were always glued to her body during dance numbers in glee club.
"You're the kinda reckless that should send me running, but I kinda know that I won't get far."
Quinn finally realized why after all the torture and trouble she had caused for Rachel, the girl never turned away.
"And you stood there in front of me just close enough to touch,
Close enough to hope you couldn't see what I was thinking of-
Drop everything now,
Meet me in the pouring rain,
Kiss me on the sidewalk,
Take away the pain,
'Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile,
Get me with those green eyes, baby, as the lights go down,
Gimme something that'll haunt me when you're not around,
'Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile."
Quinn stood silently taking in all the messages Rachel was sending her with her body language, eye contact, and song lyrics.
"My mind forgets to remind me, you're a bad idea,
You touch me once and, it's really something,
You find I'm even better than you imagined I would be."
Quinn finally realized how much she'd been getting from Rachel, and how little she'd been returning to the poor girl.
"I'm on my guard for the rest of the world but with you, I know it's no good."
Quinn finally realized how much she talked to Rachel about the hard things she'd never talk to anyone else about, and how Rachel always did the same.
"And I could wait patiently, but
I really wish you would-
Drop everything now,
Meet me in the pouring rain,
Kiss me on the sidewalk,
Take away the pain,
'Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile,
Get me with those green eyes, baby, as the lights go down,
Gimme something that'll haunt me when you're not around,
'Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile."
Quinn wiped the tears away from her cheeks, let out a long shuddery breath and wondered how much longer she could listen to Rachel sang before she broke down completely.
"I run my fingers through your hair and watch the lights go wild,
Just keep on keepin' your eyes on me,
It's just wrong enough to make it feel right."
Quinn finally realized that everything about their relationship was wrong, but that was what made it so right. They hated each other just enough to love each other.
"And lead me up the staircase, won't you whisper soft and slow?"
Quinn couldn't take it anymore and began to walk out of the auditorium, tears freely falling down her face now.
"I'm captivated by you baby, like a firework show."
The door shut behind Quinn and she ran all the way to the parking lot, ignoring Finn, Puck, Santana, and Brittany on the way there. She ran straight to her car through the freezing December cold, slamming the door behind her. The second the door shut she sobbed. Everything she thought about herself she now questioned. How could she be in love with Rachel Berry? Why was Rachel's voice playing in her head. She slammed her keys in the ignition and turned on the radio, anything to get Rachel's voice out of her head. Nothing worked.
This wasn't fair. Not for Quinn, it was more than fair for Quinn. It wasn't fair to Rachel. After all that Quinn had done to poor Rachel, how could she possibly make it up to her and be worthy of such a faithful love?
Quinn had no idea what to do, but suddenly the car was making her feel claustrophobic. She grabbed the keys from the ignition and opened the door. She leaned against the side of the car and took deep shaky breaths. The thunder began to shake the sky and she prayed that it wouldn't begin to rain. Nothing made sense to Quinn anymore, and even beside the fact that she was sobbing uncontrollably it was the happiest the blonde girl had been in her entire life. Rachel's voice still filled her voice, and though it didn't make sense, Quinn finally realized what she had to do.
"Drop everything now,"
She dropped her keys on the pavement beside her car and started running.
"Meet me in the pouring rain,"
Just Quinn's luck, the rain began to pour, drenching her blonde hair. She saw Rachel walking slowly towards the parking lot from the school, cheeks red and puffy, obviously hurt from Quinn's reaction to her well put together admission to the blonde. Rachel looked up and saw Quinn, and began to walk the other way. But Quinn put her athleticism and adrenaline to use and ran faster than she had ever ran to the little brunette.
"Quinn, if you're just coming here to confront me and humiliate me, then save it. I'm not worth it."
"Kiss me on the sidewalk,"
Quinn grabbed the smaller girl by the waist and kissed her on the lips. Nothing had ever felt so right in her entire life. Quinn finally realized what she had been missing out on- true love.
"Take away the pain,"
They broke away from each others lips when Puck began making crude comments. Quinn wiped the tears away from Rachel's eyes.
"'Cause I see sparks fly,"
Quinn's whole body tingled from the kiss, and her endorphins were going so crazy she was literally getting a natural high from being around Rachel.
"Whenever you smile,"
Rachel smiled her almost-too-wide smile, and Quinn nearly lost her breath.
"Get me with those green eyes, baby, as the lights go down,"
Quinn's eyelashes fluttered and her hazel eyes smoldered. Rachel gasped, and smiled.
"Gimme something that'll haunt me when you're not around,"
Quinn took her cross necklace off, and gently clasped it around Rachel's neck.
"I owe you this much, at least." Quinn said, brushing Rachel's bangs away from her pretty face. "This represents everything that ever happened between us. All the bad, terrible things I did. I never want you to forget that. I want to make it up to you, and make you love me even after everything I've done."
"I already do love you." Rachel said breathlessly.
"'Cause I see sparks fly,"
Rachel threw her arms around the taller girl and they hugged, clinging together in the rain.
"Whenever you smile."
Quinn took a step away and smiled. "We should probably get out of this rain before we catch a cold." Rachel said catching her breath after Quinn's flawless smile took it away.
"I love you so much." Rachel said taking Quinn's hand. And Quinn finally realized that she loved Rachel Berry at this moment, and for the rest of her life.