A/N: Small One-Shot. It probably doesn't make too much sense. But it was just floating in side my head and it wouldn't let me sleep, so I just wrote it as it came out. I hope it doesn't annoy you as much as it annoyed me before writing it down. Please review. All comments are truthfully appreciated!

It was going to happen again and Quinn couldn't take it anymore. She had stopped ordering attacks on Rachel and she had also stopped being mean to her. She wasn't sure when it all had changed, when had the feelings started or when she had actually acknowledged them, but there was no turning back now, it was her fault it all had started and she would be the one ending it.

It had happened just before the beginning of second period, she was at her locker and Rachel was just down the hall at hers, they had Math together and Quinn had made the promise that she would talk to Rachel, just some small talk to break the ice.

She was walking towards Rachel when the football players appeared with a slushie each, ready to throw them at Rachel, and Quinn realized how naïve she had been to think that after a year of making her primary target it would all change just by a snap of her fingers, it had all gotten out of control. The name calling, the bullying, the slushie facials, and as much as Rachel tried to hide she could see it was starting to get to her and Quinn was not having any of that anymore.

She was almost running so that she could get to Rachel before they did. This was the day it all ended. The bets were on and she was not backing out.

She got to Rachel just in time, 2 seconds before Karofsky and Azimio, they had their smug faces on and were ready to throw the ice cold drinks, but Quinn was now standing in front of Rachel, hands on her hips, chin held up high, eye brow quirked, and menacing eyes.

"What the hell do you morons think you are doing?

The fact that they stopped flat on their feet and their smug faces were now somewhere between confusion and fear were enough to make Quinn feel satisfied.

"I asked you a question Karofsky. What the hell do you think you're doing with those slushies. Given the fact that I ordered a total halt on the slushies for Rachel, I imagine you are just walking around enjoying your drinks and just happen to be here right now. Wrong place, wrong time... You know, that sort of coincidence"

"What are you doing Quinn?"

It was almost a whisper, but Quinn knew that voice too well. She knew every tone and every meaning. She knew that voice when it was at it's maximum potency, she knew it when it was a yell, when it was a rant, when it was stammering… and this tone she was sadly too familiar with; fear and anxiety.

"Quinn… What-What's going on?"

She was just about to turn her head to her to assure her that everything was going to be okay when Karofsky spoke.

"Yeah Fabray. What are you doing? Why are you suddenly defending that freak? I mean, we all thought you were just taking her as a pity project or something, or that perhaps her freak dads had sent the entire gay community after you and that's why you told us to not slushie her anymore…"

"What?... Quinn did- did you really…?"

"Shut up freak! No one's talking to you!"

Quinn growled and she suddenly saw red, her fists tightened and her whole body was just trembling with rage.

"You shut up Azimio! Or you will regret it."

She spoke calmly, slowly, but filled with anger and disgust, and she thought she had just yelled a little because a small crowd was now circling them.

"Walk away. And don't EVER let me catch you near Rachel again. It will be in your best benefit to just leave her alone. Whoever touches her will deal with me. Get it?"

The two boys were now genuinely scared. Maybe Quinn wasn't very tall, or very strong for that matter, but she was intimidating, she knew how to make people scared and she knew how to punish those who dared defy her, and they did not want her to begin a witch hunt after them, so they just nodded… slowly.

"Good. At least you still have some brain function inside that hard head of yours. Now leave and do not forget it. Whoever dares touch Rachel Berry will respond directly to me. GO! NOW!"

And the football players walked away as quickly as they could, without looking as terrified as they felt.

Quinn then turned around to face one extremely shocked Rachel Berry. She looked so small and confused and at that moment Quinn only wanted to wrap her in her arms and protect her against everything and everyone.

"Why did you do that Quinn? They did have a point, I am really no one in this school and you had no reason at all to do that."

"You are not no one Rachel, you are amazing and I had every reason to do that. I was wrong to start it in the first place, I never should've done that and I am so sorry. I can't apologize enough. But I can guarantee you it will never happen again."

Quinn now had both of her hands in each of Rachel's cheeks and was hunching slightly trying to look directly into Rachel's eyes with a full reassuring smile that reached all the way to her eyes.

"Rachel, look at me. I am so sorry for what I've put you through, but I promise you. No one will ever dare do anything to you ever again. Trust me"

And Rachel looked into her eyes, trying to find the joke, the smirk before the big blow. But found nothing in them but pure honesty and regret and… and … No, it couldn't be that. Quinn was definitely not looking at her in that way, so she pushed the thought away and focused only in the honesty and truthfulness of Quinn's words and promises and she smiled a little.

That was enough for Quinn, at least for now. She knew she was going to have to work hard to prove Rachel she could trust her completely and she was willing to do whatever it took.

"Thank you Quinn."

"You have nothing to thank me for. I am just doing what I should've done it the first place! Now, let's get to class, shall we?"

And with that she took Rachel's hand in her and walked to their classroom.

The moment she felt Rachel's warm, soft hand in hers and her fingers mixing together, she knew she never wanted to let go and made the commitment right there and then to protect that girl no matter what.

To never let go.