Disclaimer: I don't own anything!
Rated: T
A/N: I don't know whether I like this or not it was spawned by me thinking about my next driving lesson.
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She was early. Quinn Fabray was early. She laughed quietly to herself as she pulled up on the opposite side of the road to Rachel's house. Fancy her being early. She put the car into park and turned off the engine. She knew Rachel would have been looking out for her, as she usually did.
She smiled to herself. She hadn't noticed at first. The girl just seemed to appear out of the house just as she pulled up, she thought nothing of it, maybe she had just seen her as she was passing the window. One day though, she had driven past and had just happened to look out of the window to the brunette's house as she past and there she was, standing at the window, looking up and down the street. She smiled at the memory. Rachel's face had been a one of worry that she was late, or maybe excitement, or maybe something else.
Slipping some lip gloss on and taking off her large sun glasses she looked over at the house again. It was still for a moment before the hallway light flicked on. Quinn found herself smiling wider at the thought of Rachel coming to join her and didn't stop until her cheeks stung with the effort. Although she was on her own she gave an awkward cough at her own thoughts and tried to will away the redness of her cheeks.
It was stupid anyway. Just a little crush. She had crushes, everyone had crushes. The people who stand out most to you, make you laugh that little bit harder than the rest. The people who you painstakingly wait a whole week to spend a little time with. That had been the main reason of course that she had jumped at the chance to help Rachel out with her driving. An hour a week on their own in a quiet place. Which teenager with a crush didn't want that? A little time to try and be as normal as you could while inside you were trying to think of things to say to try and be funny or cool or normal. More than anything she wanted Rachel to find out the real her, the real Quinn. The Quinn that was currently trying to turn the heat down in some hopes that it would calm the blush on her face. The blush that just thinking about Rachel had caused. The blush for Rachel. It had been strange, when they had first started driving together. It had been a crush that Quinn could handle then. Over time though it had begun to frighten her. That feeling she got when they had touched hands over the gear stick. You didn't get those feelings over a silly school girl crush. She didn't know where things were going. She was frightened to even admit to herself that maybe it was more than a crush, what she felt...but what was more than a crush? Lust? Love? Could she be in love with Rachel? Her heart began to beat faster at that thought, her insides felt like they were performing in a circus while outside she appeared calm, something she was good at. She nervously played with the front of her hair, her thoughts and eyes being dragged away from their current subject.
The front door to the Berry household opened and out stepped Rachel. She smiled over at her and suddenly Quinn knew. That smile. That smile was all she wanted to see. From morning through 'til night. She smiled back as she stared at the girl as she walked down the garden path. Her seat belt gave a tug and she realised she had been leaning forward in her seat. She let herself drop back, feeling her heart do backflips and her stomach follow. Stop it Quinn, she told herself. She's not going to like you if you act like a dork. The brunette reached the pavement as Quinn pulled away her gaze, realising that she must look totally crazy just staring at the girl. She fixed her eyes forward and began to ready herself. No babbling, no staring, generally no being weird...she stared forward for a little while longer before realising that Rachel was taking her time getting over to the car. She looked out of the window again and as she did, Rachel beamed at her from her position in the middle of the road. She smiled too and removed her seat belt so that they could swap sides. She only looked away for a second to untwist the belt but that was long enough to miss the car. It came out of nowhere and simply sped, right into the side of Rachel. She turned back to the window when she heard the loud engine of the car and just turned in time to see Rachel's body being flung into the air like a child's rag doll. The next thing she knew Rachel was screaming, a horrible piercing scream that poured into every inch of Quinn's body. It washed over her, seeping into her skin, running into her veins, making its way to her heart.
The car stopped with a heavy jolt and before she knew what was happening the driver had got out and rushed over to Rachel who was now lying lifeless in the road. Quinn, without even thinking, leapt out of her car and rushed onto the road, throwing herself down onto the rough tarmac, not even flinching when the loose bits of stone dug into her bare knees, making them bleed instantly. The driver looked to her but Quinn didn't even acknowledge him, she was too busy staring down at the brunette. Her eyes were closed, her head was bleeding and Quinn could see her eyelids beginning to grey. She blinked as her eyes began to swim with tears. She didn't want to cry, she wanted to see Rachel, she wanted to see her. Her tears stung though and she had to close her eyes to rid herself of the water. Her tears made tracks down her cheeks as she grabbed Rachel's hand.
"Rachel." She almost pleaded. "Rachel, can you hear me? Rachel?"
The driver of the car had moved away and was now talking on a mobile phone. He turned to her.
"Do you know her?" He asked.
"Yes, she's my friend...Rachel."
The girl on the ground didn't move as Quinn looked up at the oncoming noise, doors banged, people gasped, screamed. She heard footsteps and moans closing in on the scene.
"Is it Rachel? Where's Rachel? Is it my daughter? Rachel!"
Quinn gave a sob as Rachel's Dads ran over. Their faces dropped when they saw their little girl all bloody and bruised lying in the middle of the road.
Hiram dropped, much like Quinn had, onto the road next to his daughter.
"I'm calling an ambulance." Leroy said, fumbling around in his pocket.
"I already have they're on their way."
She looked up to see the driver explain to Leroy.
The driver looked to be in his late 50's. He looked visibly shocked and shaken and his eyes kept wandering over to Rachel who was getting worryingly greyer.
"Thank you." Leroy said calmly, though Quinn could tell he was panicking inside.
"The ambulance will be here soon."
She looked over to Hiram who had clutched onto his daughters other hand. He spoke gently, directing his statement to his motionless daughter.
Tears still flowed from Quinn's eyes as she tried to take in everything that was happening around her. Neighbours were out. Hiram hunched over Rachel. Leroy looking everywhere. The poor driver looking from Rachel to the end of the street, to Leroy. She didn't know what to do. How could this have happened? A minute ago she had been in her car getting nervous about seeing the girl who made her heart race and now she was in the middle of the road, knees bleeding, hair sticking to her damp cheeks, teeth chattering, clutching at a cold hand.
No.
No.
The cold clutched at her fingers, spreading up her arm. Why was Rachel cold? She felt like she was holding onto ice, building a snowman without gloves. She looked down to the girls hand. Why was it white? It shouldn't be that white. It shouldn't be that cold. Her tears stopped and she blinked. She felt like someone had just hit her in the face with a hard pillow. The bruising had started on the tiny singer's face, around her eyes, her cheeks. The deep purple standing our against the too pale background.
The beautiful face of Rachel Berry.
Purple.
Marked.
Bruised.
White.
Like a sheet.
Like nothing Quinn had ever seen.
She began to panic, her chest rising and falling so fast that she was sure she was going to run out of breath.
"No..." She moaned. "No."
Hiram moved away, his partner clutching at his shoulders, fingertips digging in. The driver covered his mouth with his hands, dropping his mobile on the hard road, not noticing it escape his fingers as it shattered against the hard, cold ground.
"She can't be...she's not." Quinn cried, shaking her head.
She brought a hand up to the girl's face. It was so cold.
"No, no, no, Rachel, Rach."
"Quinn.."
She heard her name and she looked up to see Leroy looking at her, tears running down his cheeks, his heartache reflecting in his glistening eyes.
"We've got to help her." Quinn said suddenly. "Where's the ambulance? We have to do something."
"There's nothing we can do..."
"There has to be!" Quinn shouted, her voice raw and painful.
Hiram started crying harder, as be stood next to his partner.
"Quinn. She's gone."
"No!" She screamed. "No, no, no, please, please."
She broke down and Hiram rushed around to hold her. He rocked her on the ground as they cried together.
Two ambulances arrived and as they took Rachel's body away Hiram had to drag the blonde away. She started to hyperventilate in his arms. The neighbours watched the blonde girl they didn't know and their hearts broke for her, she must have been in love they thought as they made their way back to their houses. The driver of the car cried as he was taken to the police station, which he went without any fuss. Leroy climbed in the ambulance with Rachel and Hiram chose to stay with Quinn who had to be taken to hospital in the second ambulance to be treated for severe shock.
It all happened so quickly. Quinn was early. Rachel came out. The car hit her. It was so quick. Hiram held onto her, cradling her in his arms.
"You loved her didn't you." He said quietly.
It wasn't a question, more of a statement.
She didn't blink as she answered. She didn't do anything, She didn't even have to think. The girl. The perfect girl, had just...gone. Gone. Her heart was breaking in her chest.
"Yes."