Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 42nd cycle. Now cycle 43!

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** UPDATED WITH CYCLE 43 CHEAT SHEET ** Check it out to find out about shift days!

This is a shift day [see above]. There will be another upload this afternoon: Familiar Strangers, chapter 1.

"The Customer You Are Trying To Reach Is Not Available"
Rachel, Quinn, Will & New Directions, Parents... Faberry? Perhaps ;)

chapter 1 of 3

Finn had been upset that she'd asked him to postpone, but he would be just as happy to marry her the next day, or possibly the day after that, when Quinn would be there and they would be able to say that… everyone was there that… was supposed to be there… So why did she feel like a boulder had landed deep in her stomach?

She had been running the same sequence for something like ten minutes: check her text messages – nothing new, just the last one… On my way – then she'd pace, tell herself everything was fine, keep telling herself, until she couldn't make herself believe again, but then the words would stop working and she'd need to check her messages again, like it would make her want to believe those words again. She was on her way, everything was fine.

"Call, just call her," she told herself, shaking her head and dialling her cell. She could see the rest of them following her pacing with their eyes. She frowned, quickening her steps to pass around the corner and out of sight. She'd just made it there when the recorded voice came on the line, letting her know the number could not be reached.

Whatever denial she'd been latching on to in the last little while, it was unceremoniously shoved aside to give way to fear. It wasn't her imagination now; something was wrong.

She'd tried Quinn's cell once more, and then a third time, but each time the same voice came on and she would hang up. With no other options at her disposal, she called the Fabray home. There was no answer, the call being picked up by the answering machine. This could mean anything really, but under the circumstances, it only made her more freaked out.

The rest of them had stayed, even though they were already past the time and there wouldn't be a wedding that day, but they'd probably be leaving soon. And as she was hurrying back to them, she saw a few of them were on their feet, aiming to leave. "Wait, something's wrong," she begged.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Dad asked, coming up to her.

"It's Quinn, I…" she looked down to her phone. "She's not picking up, there's no connection, I don't know…" she shook her head.

"Maybe she changed her mind about coming," Santana shrugged.

"No," Rachel went on shaking her head. "No, she was coming, she should have been here by now, a-and when I call it's just a recorded message," she looked to her phone like it confused her.

"I'm sure everything's fine, she's just running late," Pop told her, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it, not anymore.

They were ready to call it a day, to go home, so they'd gone. Rachel couldn't go. She didn't know what was happening, and if it was true that nothing was wrong, then she'd stay right there and she would wait for her. Little by little the group had dwindled, and with the office closed they had come to wait outside, by the doors. It had come down to Rachel and her fathers, but eventually she'd let them go on home. She had to stay, stubbornly striding the line between denial and fear.

Then something had happened. They'd started coming back, her Glee Club. Each one that arrived seemed to have a look on his or her face like they'd made it to where she was now, mentally. The dread had gained them and now they worried for their missing member. A few would say they had tried texting, tried calling, with no results. Now the silent vigil was clueless to know how to proceed, where to go from there… If they went home, without knowing what was going on…

It had been all of them standing there for a while, and then someone else was approaching. Will came walking toward them and the closer he got, the more they could see his face…

"Oh no…" Tina had breathed.

Rachel had moved up to meet him, feet unsure but unable to stay away. "Where is she?" she asked, her breath and her voice just barely hanging on. Will looked to her, looked to the twelve anxious faces behind her. He looked shaken, as much as he was trying to stay strong, and soon they'd know why.

"After I left, I started making calls, trying to see what could have held Quinn back. I finally… I…" he paused, knowing what he was about to lay on them. "There's been an accident," he said the words they had all suspected, and still there was a run of gasps.

"Is she okay?" Puck asked.

"She's in the hospital, I don't know much," Will shook his head.

Rachel hadn't heard a thing after he'd shown up, it felt. She'd had plenty of time to imagine what could have happened, so his arrival had only confirmed it. All her thoughts were now honed in to one thing: she needed to go and be there with her, in whatever way they would allow her. After so much push and pull, they were now friends, they were… they were…

"What hospital?" was all she could say, and when he told her, she was moving. The others were on her heels, all of them splitting off into whatever cars they had at their disposal. Rachel rode with Will. Alone with her teacher, away from the others' eyes, she could allow herself to say ask the words she never wanted to have to ask again. "Is she… She's not going to…" She couldn't do it, and maybe her voice gave out to protect her. Will pulled the car over when he heard the shudder of a cry. He waited, let her work it out of her system. When she sniffled and looked to have regained some control, he pulled back on to the road.

With their pause, they were the last ones to arrive at the hospital. The rest of them were all sitting with Mrs. Fabray, who stood when the two of them arrived. She looked like she'd been crying a good deal already, and Rachel barely had time to register what this might mean that she was gathered in the woman's arms. "They told me you waited," she heard Judy's voice at her ear, sounding like a thank you.

"Is she okay? Can I see her?" Rachel asked as they pulled back and Judy gave the teacher's arm a thankful squeeze.

It would be a couple more hours before they were able to visit her. After Judy had gone, she'd given Rachel the go ahead. In the time they had waited, she'd called home to tell her fathers what was happening. They had come to wait as well, bringing their daughter clothes to change out of her wedding dress. A number of other parents had found their way to the waiting room, Emma as well, and even Sue. Walking to the room, Judy had told her that she was barely conscious at this point, and to take things slow. Rachel had given a careful nod, suddenly frightened at what she'd find.

Laid out in bed, the whole image made the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach get worse. She barely looked like herself, with the cuts, the bandages, the machines… Rachel's hand went to her mouth, swallowing back a gasp so she wouldn't hear her. If Judy hadn't told her that she was conscious, she wouldn't have known it. She stepped quietly toward the bed. "Quinn, I… I'm so sorry," she shook her head, reaching to wipe at errant tears on her face. It had felt like it for some time now, that this was in part because of her. If she hadn't kept texting her, she wouldn't have felt the need to reply, and then she would have seen… She breathed out, reaching for the blonde's hand. "You're going to be okay, alright? You have to be, I…"

She looked up and there saw Quinn's eyes were opened and fixed on her, happy or relieved to see her. Rachel let out the breath stuck in her throat. Quinn looked like she was trying to speak, but Rachel quickly shook her head.

"No, don't, it's okay, keep your strength she begged." Her eyes wouldn't leave her still, and Rachel could only wonder what was so important for her to need to say to her. She didn't know what would happen now, if the worst was over, but she had to hope that it was.

TO BE CONTINUED (NEXT THURSDAY)