Rachel couldn't believe her luck as she stood in the dressing room in the most perfect wedding dress she had ever seen. As she twirled in circles like a young girl on her first day of school, Rachel thought about everything that was going well in her life. She was smart, pretty, more talented than anyone she knew (in her humble opinion), and engaged to be married to the most attractive guy at school. She was in a place that most girls only dreamed of. Why, then, was she looking in the slightly dirty mirror at her long brown hair and slim body in the loveliest wedding gown the store offered, and worrying not about what Finn would think when he finally saw her, but of how Quinn would react?

Quinn.

Even the name made her heart beat faster and a smile grow on her face. Quinn was something special. She was strong and brave and without a doubt, the prettiest girl Rachel had ever know.

"Stop it, Rachel" she whispered to herself.

"You're here for Finn. You love Finn. Pull yourself together!"

After her fitting room pep-talk, Rachel took a deep breath and slowly opened the door that would lead her to her friends' reactions. As she stepped out from the shadows, she was overwhelmed with the thoughts of her bridesmaids. "You're gorgeous, Rachel!" "You look like a cake topper!" "That dress is stunning!" Unfortunately, the time she spent trying to tell herself that she was only trying on that dress for Finn went flying out the window the second she saw the hurt and disdain on Quinn's face. Though she tried to block it out, Rachel just didn't feel as special in her gown as she would have if Quinn had been the one to tell her how pretty she looked.

"What's the matter, Quinn?" she asked, casting aside her better judgment.

"What's the matter? Seriously, Rachel? I just...can't believe that you of all people would do this. You're the shining star out of all of us, and I admire you most for being completely unapologetic with your goals and ambitions, but I cannot stand to watch you throw everything away to marry Finn Hudson. I never thought that, of any of us Glee kids, you would be the one who ended up being afraid to take on the world."

Rachel noticed that both she and Quinn were on the verge of tears after the heartfelt confession.

"I don't think I'm afraid to take on the world, Quinn." She whispered, looking at the ground.

"Well it certainly seems that way, Rachel. Either that, or you're settling because for whatever reason, you think that you can't have any and everything that you want in life."

"I..." was as far as Rachel got in her response before she finally let her tears fall. She was ashamed, embarrassed, hurt, and shocked. Shocked that anyone, let alone Quinn Fabray, would notice something about her that she never shared with another soul. Rachel was worried that she would end up alone, with no one she could share her accomplishments with. She never wanted to admit it, for fear of ridicule, but she was a singer, not an actress, after all, and apparently she didn't fool people as well as she thought.

"You're right, Quinn." Rachel agreed, voice increasing in volume with every word. "I do worry about that, but Finn promised me that he wouldn't ever let me be alone again. That he would always be there for me."

"Have you ever thought" countered Quinn in a soft tone "that he was only telling you what you most needed to hear at the time? Because Finn has lied to you before, Rachel. And everyone here knows it. How do you know that you can trust him to not leave you, or use you for the amazing things that you're sure to accomplish?"

"No one can know things like that for sure." Rachel replied calmly. "But marriage is a whole new entity, and these vows mean everything to me."

"Then I urge you to share them with someone who deserves to hear you say 'I do', someone who will be unable to control their emotions when they see an angel dressed in white walking towards them with a face full of love and trust, someone who will treat you like the star that you are and always will be. Someone who isn't Finn."

What Rachel was about to say next, would be the most painful thing she would come out with in her entire life. But she had to say it. She had to defend her relationship with Finn. He loved her, right?

"I'm sorry that you feel that way, Quinn. I think it would be best if you didn't attend the wedding."

"Don't worry, Rachel. I won't." Quinn said with her head down, the blush on her face matching the pink color of her dress and her blonde hair falling in front of her eyes.

With one last look at Rachel, she left the dress shop and didn't look back.

Rachel, trying to hide her sobs, retreated into the fitting room once again to be alone. She couldn't believe how quickly the day has escalated. Did she really tell Quinn that she didn't want her around the wedding? What was she thinking?! She needed Quinn. She always needed Quinn.

The one woman who had always understood her beyond words. Who could communicate with just one glance, or shy smile.

She couldn't do it. Not now. Not after everything that had happened. Surely he'll understand. If he really loves her, he will, she reasoned with herself.

With a deep breath and a heavy heart, Rachel picked up the phone and dialed Finn's number. He answered on the second ring, and she managed to choke out the words she knew needed to be said, but still pained her beyond anything.

"Finn? We need to postpone the wedding."