A/N: This story is extremely AU, some characters may seem OOC and this fic will not follow canon at all, it will evantually become very dark and explore mature themes, for that reason it has been rated M.

Spoilers: up to 2x18 "Born This Way"


Chapter 1

Even though her life is one God damned cliché, Quinn Fabray really doesn't have much to complain about, she has everything she could want and more. She lives in the perfectly manicured suburban paradise of Westerville, Ohio, her parents are happily married and the cash flow is high enough to pay for her private school education at Crawford Country Day and maintain their upper middle class lifestyle. Everything seems to be peachy keen and just about perfect.

But when Quinn sits down to really think about it, she can remember a time before Westerville, and Crawford, a time before she was Quinn Fabray: this ideal all American daughter. Especially at night, right before she drifts off to sleep in her pretty yellow room on Washington Street, the room with the window seat, she remembers Lima and Warren G. Harding Middle School, she remembers the library and devouring books about the magical adventures of a bespectacled boy, and when being "Quinn Fabray" was a distant dream and everything about her life was a miserable cliché instead of a phoney one. She remembers, the memories faded and grainy like old movies, when she was walked the hallways trying to stay invisible, when she dissected her frog alone and she was treated like a leper. And even though she tries so desperately to forget, Quinn will always remember what it was like to be Lucy.


Lucy Fabray's preteen years were like the ones out of those cheesy Disney Channel movies, except no fairy godmother –esque best friend made her beautiful in a 5 minute makeover sequence by just brushing her hair and removing her glass and then BAM PRESTO she was prom queen material and the handsome football player, or a jock of a similar sport came to his senses and escorted her to the dance and the horrid popular girl that made her life a living hell got what she deserved. No, it wasn't quite like that at all. For Lucy, that happy climactic ending to the movie that was her life never came. She woke up every morning, but on her glasses and frumpy hand me downs that looked like they belonged to a Saturday morning re run of the Mickey Mouse Club and threw her fuzzy auburn hair into a pony tail so she could tackle the living hell that was Warren G Harding Middle School.

To say that school was a living hell was just a tad bit of an overstatement, sure all the popular kids led by Santana Lopez and her cronies, had ganged up on the chubby new girl that lived splat in the middle of the boundary line that separated Warren G. Harding from Belleville. Yet after about a month of teasing and name calling - the boys, especially Noah Puckerman and David Karofsky, were quite fond of calling her Lucy Caboosey whenever they saw her - eventually died down a month and a half later. The occasional snicker or obvious whisper came Lucy's way every now again, but the being the constant center of attention had come to a halt and became replaced by isolation. Lucy didn't mind it, being alone, not really. It was better than being tormented by Santana and Noah, whose latest target was a girl named Rachel Berry. Lucy wondered why they picked on Rachel, maybe it was the frumpy t-shirts that read the names of various musicals paired with short skirts and Mary Janes, or maybe it was because her nose seemed awfully big for her face or that all she talked about was how good she was a singing, dancing and just about everything else. Lucy had felt bad for her. She really did. Lucy thought that maybe they could be friends. They seemed to have a lot in common, Lucy didn't really know much about clothes , especially since all she got were hand me downs from her sister Frannie and cousins, her nose was big too, and even though it was a long time ago she remembered really liking the musical about the witch from the Wizard of Oz her grandmother took her to 3 years ago and she liked to sing in the church choir with her youth group. But after trying to talk to her for about 5 minutes Lucy realized why Santana and Brittany wrote mean things about her on the bathroom stalls and why Noah (even though they were both of the Jewish faith, and her parents had always told her that sharing faith was like a sacred bond) she didn't blame him for not being able to stand her anymore

Rachel Berry was selfish, big headed and a know-it-all, and Lucy certainly did not want to be Rachel Berry's friend anymore. Lucy told herself she wasn't disappointed, that her heart hadn't sunk in her chest as she walked away from Rachel in the crowded cafeteria as quickly as she could, that she had never really wanted to be Rachel's friend at all. It wasn't as if she imagined this perfect little friendship they would have had, helping each other with homework, talking on the phone, going to the park, having slumber parties where they braided each other's hair and stayed up late giggling and talking about how cute Finn Hudson was even though he was a bit stupid, and that Noah would've been really handsome if he was just nicer. How they could have gone on several trips to the mall to look at the trendy clothes in the display windows and try them on, but give up because they felt ridiculous lacked patience and curves so they would just go to the book store instead. Lucy would have told Rachel all about the Harry Potter book series and get her to be just as obsessed as she was and Rachel could help her with singing; Even though her Pastor and the choir director from youth group told her she has a lovely voice. They could have sung together, maybe if Lucy was brave enough join the small music club at school and audition for plays. But that wasn't going to happen, and it wasn't as if Lucy ever thought about it much anyways.

After that disaster Lucy opted away from trying to find a friend, after all, there weren't any girls left to choose from that would even give her the time of day. So she veered toward the one friend that would never reject her; literature. For as long as she could remember Lucy loved book, words and stories were like her own personal drug. She devoured anything she could get her hands on, she loved to lose herself in the worlds of make belief, it made the long hours of the day go by just a bit faster and the need to continue breathing just a little bit easier.

As literature was her true and faithful friend, the home in which it lived was Lucy's haven. During the time she wasn't in class, the school library was her own secret paradise. Since barely any of the student and Harding Middle School cared much for reading or books Lucy had the place to herself. She was there at lunch time, tucked away in the comfy blue armchair closest to the window eating her ham and cheese sandwich, Le Morte D'Arthur opened on her lap.

"That's a difficult read," said a kind voice.

Lucy looked up from her book; to see the librarian. Even though Lucy had been in the library nearly every day at lunch for about 2 months now (after the Rachel Berry Friendship Disaster), Mrs. Schuster had never really spoken to her, or actually been around. (According to rumours, her husband was in rehab for a drinking problem, but you didn't hear it from Judy Fabray). The first thing Lucy noticed about her was her eyes, they were blue and her face was kind.

"I like a challenge I guess," Lucy responded quietly. She really wanted to get back to reading, King Arthur had just found out about Guinevere's affair with Lancelot, and she really wanted to find out what was going to happen.

Mrs. Schuster smiled warmly at her. "Tell me what you think of it when you finish. I could help you find something similar if you like it,"

"Ok," Lucy replied dumbly at her as Mrs. Schuster walked back to her place at the front desk.

As soon as 3 o'clock hits Lucy shoots out of the school like a lightning bolt and runs home as fast as she can. She stays up way past the time she usually goes to sleep and she finishes the book. By the time the final battle at Camlan is happening her eyes are beginning to droop. Lucy pinches herself and keeps reading, because it's a good story and she can't put it down, not because she wants to talk to Mrs. Schuster again and ask for another book, and most certainly not because Mrs. Schuster is the first person at that school to start a conversation with her, or even so much as looked at her with kind eyes. It's not because of that at all.

Even though Lucy's dead tired the next day and practically falls asleep in math, she's wide awake with excitement as she marches in to the library, lunch box in one hand and Le Morte D'Arthur in the other. Lucy slaps the book down on the front desk.

"Hello Lucy," greets Mrs. Schuster cheerily emerging from the back room. "How's the book going?"

"I finished it," Lucy states triumphantly with a smile.

Mrs. Schuster looks a little shocked, but she smiles again. "That's excellent Lucy!," she exclaims. "If you come over here I could show the fantasy selection we have,"

The librarian points to a row of shelves on the right side of the library. Lucy follows behind her, a bounce in her stride, as Mrs. Schuster prattles on about a book series about rings, elves and mystical creatures. Whatever it is that started that day becomes a routine. Mrs. Schuster would recommend Lucy a book, and Lucy would read the book as fast as she could, whenever she could, in class, at lunch, at home, everywhere. Scanning the array of words, absorbing every last bit of information so when she went back to the library the next time she and Mrs Schuster would talk about it, the plot, the characters, symbolism, likes and dislikes, all while Mrs. Schuster would help her pick out another. Soon "another book" became two, then three and then a stack. By the beginning of December Lucy was reading almost 4 books a week.

"Mrs. Schuster?" Lucy asks the day before the 2 week winter break was due to start, it was lunch period and Lucy and Mrs. Schuster were tucked in the back left corner in arm chairs sipping hot chocolate that the librarian had brought that morning in a thermos. Lucy had her biology text book in her lap, she had a test last period and Mrs. Schuster had Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in her hand, she felt the need to refresh her memory since whenever magic came up in a conversation Lucy chattered on a mile a minute about the series.

"Yes, dear," Mrs. Schuster replied, setting the book down on the table beside her hot chocolate. Lucy was staring at her inquisitively, her thick glasses sliding down her nose revealing a stunning pair of green eyes.

"Mrs. Schuster I was wondering, if you, if you wanted," Lucy stumbled over her words, although quiet, Lucy was well spoken and articulate.

"Yes Lucy?"

"Are we friends?" Lucy blurted out. Her face flushing a deep shade of pink. "I'm only asking, well because, I've never really had a friend before, and this is usually what friends do, at least that's what books say, even though kids are usually friends with kid not their mentors but since we do what friends do and talk about books and I wondering if we were friends?"

Being a woman who worked with kids all her life, had an alcoholic husband and a musically inclined son who was married to his mentally unstable high school sweetheart, Marianne Schuster had heard several startling things in her life, and it took quite a bit to leave her speechless, but she couldn't quite find the right words to say. She looked at Lucy, who out of all the young girls she had come across in her years as an educator she had never met a little girl who warmed her heart as much as Lucy Fabray did. Marianne knew Lucy was special the second she came marching into the library, her eyes shining bright and with one of the most difficult books in the school not only completed but thoroughly understood. Lucy was intelligent and kind, and although she was quiet and reserved at first glance, once she got talking she was bright and witty and so full of life it made Marianne's heart swell in her chest. As much as she adored Lucy and enjoyed her company, she shouldn't be there. She should be in the cafeteria with a table full of friends, laughing and enjoying herself like any other 12 year old girl, but Lucy wasn't like any of the other girls at school, so caught up in the modern materialistic lifestyle that they read about in magazines. Not only did she know that Lucy would never fit in with those girls, whose minds were contantly filled with superficial beauty.

Lucy's clothes were simple, yet always a little too big or too small, she never wore any make up or did much with her hair except wear it tied back, and even if she wanted to, the Fabray's would never have been able to afford it. Gossip travelled fast in a town as small as Lima, and everyone knew that Russell Fabray had to work double over time and his wife had 2 jobs to make ends meet and send their elder daughter to Princeton.

"Of course we're friends, Lucy," Marianne replied as Lucy's unsure expression became a smile. "And because you're my friend Lucy, I decided to get you this," Marianne revelaed a green gift bag from behind her arm chair.

The young girl's eyes widened with shock. "You didn't need to get me anything Mrs. Schuster, I, I would have gotten you something too," Said Lucy flustered as she accepted the shiny green bag.

Lucy put her hand in the bag and took out a black leather bound journal with Lucy Quinn Fabray in scripted in gold script in the lower left hand corner.

"It's beautiful," Lucy said in awe as she examined the journal, running her hand over the crisp blank pages.

"I thought, since you loved to read so much, you might want to write stories of your own," said Marianne warmly. "Mr. Malkin says you're a fantastic writer,"

Lucy placed the journal carefully back inside the green gift bag and looked up at Mrs. Schuster, her lip began to quiver just a bit, her eyes glazing over. "Thank you," she said, her voice just a whisper of a breath.

"Oh, come here, Lucy,"

Mrs. Schuster took Lucy into her arms and hugged her. Their moment was interrupted by the buzzing of the school bell which signalled the end of the lunch break. Reluctantly, Marianne let Lucy shimmy out of the hug to grab her bag and the Christmas present.

Lucy swallowed thickly as she removed her glasses to wipe away the last of her tears. "Bye Mrs. Schuster, have a good holiday and thank you again," Lucy began to walk out of the library.

Marianne watched her walk out, clutching the gift bag desperately in her hand.

"Lucy,"

"Yes, Mrs. Schuster?"

Marianne paused, observing the small girl, her green eyes still wet and anxious. "Merry Christmas Lucy,"

"Merry Christmas Mrs. Schue,"