Author's Note: Hello, I'm still new to writing fanfics so any constructive criticism you got, I'll gladly take. :) I hope you enjoy the story and please review.

Warning: Rachel is twenty-three in this fic and Quinn just turned eighteen. So there is a five-year age difference between the two. Just letting you know in case that bothers some folks. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. So, you know, please don't sue me.

Summary: AU. Quinn Fabray has finally turned eighteen and is off to college and is going to live with Rachel Berry. Her five-years-older family friend who she's been crushing on since puberty. She's hoping the time spent together alone in the city will finally get Rachel to shed the view of her as "little Q" and open her up to the grown women she's become.

Enjoy,

Lifeisshort-sotalkfast

Also, if you have a tumblr follow me. Fanfiction keeps deleting my link on here, but there's one up on my bio page. :)

Prologue

"I can't believe you're eighteen," Rachel Berry shouted as she swept in Quinn's room with a bright smile. Her eyes softened and calmed considerably when she caught sight of the beautiful blonde sitting on the window seal. "Hey," she said walking toward her. She wrapped her arms loosely around Quinn's neck and placed a sweet peck on her head as she followed the blonde's eye line. "Why are you swimming in your head instead of enjoying the excitement that today brings?"

Quinn Fabray, birthday girl, finally turned to acknowledge her older friend and smiled serenely. "My head is pretty exciting today too."

Rachel's smile broadened. "I don't doubt that. Someday you'll have to let me in and see for myself."

Quinn's smile dimmed. "It'll overwhelm you."

"Then guide me." Rachel told her simply.

"Another day." Quinn bargained. When she's not such a coward.

"Deal." Rachel grabbed her hand and led her off the window seal and towards the door. "I did not travel from New York to Lima, Ohio for your birthday to not even see you enjoy it."

"I thought you came back because you missed your dads too much to spend another summer away," Quinn teased allowing the shorter girl to pull her toward the party outside.

Rachel stopped just before the door leading to the backyard and turned with a grin. "That was said to make them feel better. As if I'd miss my little Q's journey into adulthood. I feel so old," she laughed, swinging the backdoor open and walking outside.

Oh, how quickly good feelings vanish.

"You're only twenty-three, Rach. Hardly old."

"No," Rachel agreed easily. "But when I see how grownup you are, and think about when you were nine-years-old begging me to stay up late with you so you could watch your favorite Christmas movie; I sure feel it."

"Gross, Rachel, you're sounding like my mom," Quinn told her while glancing at said woman. Her mother was doing the Macarena with Rachel's father, Leroy. "Who apparently thinks it's okay to do that dance at an eighteen-year-old's party."

"What?" Rachel turned around and laughed at the sight that greeted her. "Get it, Judy! Go, dad!" Both persons gave a smile and thumbs up before continuing their dance. "I'm taking that as a compliment," Rachel told her continuing their previous conversation.

"Then I must have said it wrong," she quipped earning a laugh.

"I'll be your pretend mom and I'll be super over-protective when some hot guy or girl tries to hit on you." Rachel slipped her arm through Quinn's leading her to the snack table.

Quinn frowned at the mental picture and fought a shudder. "No."

Rachel grinned and pretended to think. "Alright, I'll be your big sister then. I'll be hip and cool and all your suitors will love me." Again, she shook her head in the negative and Rachel pouted. "Why not?"

Quinn gave her a faux disappointed look. "There's a height requirement to be a Fabray that you unfortunately do not meet."

"This adult version of you is a bit of an asshole," Rachel told her.

Before Quinn could answer another voice came up from behind her. "Rachel Berry. Is that the type of language for a lady?"

Rachel's eyes widened and Quinn saw her transform from a confidant twenty-three-year-old to a sheepish ten-year-old. "Sorry, Russell."

Russell came up from behind Quinn and pulled her into a side-hug. "Just don't corrupt my little girl when she heads off with you for school."

"I would never," Rachel promised. "In fact, I won't let anyone even think about dating her unless they meet the Rachel Berry approval."

Russell laughed, squeezing Quinn closer. "And that's exactly why I thought it'd be better for Quinn to move in with you instead of living on campus."

Rachel squealed at the reminder. "I'm so excited to have her living with me. My apartment can get lonely being by myself. And," she continued. "I'll be able to better protect her if old perverts try to take advantage."

Quinn scrunched her face up in annoyance. "I'm not a little girl. Or, an idiot," she mumbled as an afterthought.

Both ignored her and Quinn slipped out of her father's hold and looked at them both. "Since you two seem to enjoy talking about me like I'm not here – I'm going to go."

Rachel gave her a charming smile and her father gave a slight nod in dismissal. Quinn rolled her eyes at the two and walked further away from the party toward a slightly isolated tree in the yard. She leaned against it with a huff as she kept thinking about the sweet torture living with Rachel was going to be like: catching little snippets of her half-dressed as she went from the bathroom to her room, waking up every morning to her singing. Her thoughts took a downward spiral as her realistic side kicked in and suddenly thoughts of walking in on her and her boyfriend making out on the couch, and hearing their disgusting sex-life through the thin walls, filled her head.

Fuck!

She should've just gone to Yale instead of Columbia. Maybe she would've met some nice guy or girl there and finally gotten over Rachel. For all she knew, she would've found someone she could spend the rest of her life with at Yale and actually be happy. But, no. Her mom had to mention going to Columbia would mean getting to live with Rachel in the city and how could Quinn have possibly turned that down.

A shadowed materialized over her and Quinn looked up to see the source of all her troubles standing above her with a frown. "Why do you keep leaving your party?" Rachel sat beside her and turned to her expectantly. "What's got you so worked up?"

"Nothing," Quinn said. "Just keep thinking about college."

"Having second thoughts about Columbia?"

"No." Yes, but not for the reasons you think.

"Then what is it?" Rachel asked concerned. "Let me swim in that head of yours."

Quinn smiled at the familiar routine. "You'll drown."

"Not if you're there to guide me." Rachel countered accordingly.

Quinn smiled, but said nothing else and Rachel allowed her the peace to roam her mind freely. Knowing sometimes the blonde just enjoyed living in her head rather than the real world. It was quiet as Quinn worked through her thoughts and Rachel took the time to study the younger girl. She couldn't help, but compare her to her older sister during these moments of silence.

Frannie Fabray was a year older than Rachel and they were best friends. They even shared a drunken kiss at a party during spin-the-bottle. It was her first girl-on-girl kiss and it introduced her to the prospect of dating women. She thought it would've led to somewhere, but Frannie never mentioned it again and Rachel wasn't secure enough to bring it up on her own. They stayed best friends up until Frannie went off to college and left Rachel, and everyone else, in the dust. She couldn't deny that it hurt, but she got over it and now she only looks back on it as a friendship she would always remember and cherish.

Though the two Fabrays shared some physical qualities like the blonde hair and pale complexion; they mostly differed. Frannie had blue eyes from her mother, while Quinn inherited her father's hazel. And where Frannie's face was always warm and welcoming; Quinn's could be cold and calculating. Their personalities differed the most with Quinn coming off as the more mature of the two.

Frannie always had a fun, reckless, and free-spirited personality that Rachel could never deny. Quinn, however, possesses a more charming, aloof, and a bit of a domineering personality that would, at times, stir feelings in Rachel that aren't appropriate given their age difference.

"Do you think everything happens for a reason?"

Rachel startled when Quinn spoke, feeling a bit awkward at the turn her thoughts had taken. She shook her head to clear her mind. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I'm just wondering if I made a mistake choosing Columbia over Yale," she answered thoughtfully.

"Education-wise?" Because Rachel still didn't understand why Quinn chose Columbia over Yale. She knew Columbia was a prestigious school, but it's Yale. Who turns down Yale?

"No." Quinn shook her head still seemingly lost in her own mind. "If I didn't think Columbia would provide a decent education I wouldn't have even bothered applying. I'm just worried that the reason I chose Columbia over Yale is stupid and unrealistic."

"You won't tell me this reason, will you?" Quinn only smiled and shook her head. Rachel guessed it was probably a child fantasy that Quinn was embarrassed to reveal. Not that she would ever judge. She's been dreaming of stardom since she was old enough to know what it meant and look at her now. She's starring in her first Broadway production as an actual lead.

"Speaking from experience, I think if you still believe in this reason then you shouldn't let fear keep you from trying to reach it."

Quinn narrowed her gaze and picked at the grass around her as she mulled over Rachel's words. "Even if that reason is an impossible fantasy?"

"I believe anything is possible and nothing is untouchable. It's kind of my thing," Rachel winked.

"Gold stars are your thing," Quinn corrected unconsciously.

Rachel bit her lip. "That too. But this is about you, so ask yourself if the reason you chose Columbia still applies and if it's worth turning down Yale."

Quinn finally turned her eyes to Rachel and after a moment gave her a blinding smile. "It's worth everything." Her tone softened lovingly as she reached over and pulled Rachel into her side. "I'm really glad you're in my life, Rach."

"So am I." She said softly, resting her head against the blonde's shoulder. Her mind wandered to her previous thoughts and her arms went around Quinn's waste as if is to reinforce her statement. She knew it was selfish and wrong, but if Rachel was allowed to only share her life with one Fabray; she was glad it was Frannie who left.