AN: Im so surprised that people liked my story the alerts and favorites are amazing. I had so much trouble trying to figure out how to upload a new chapter, so sorry if you kept getting alerts. The song in the story is "we found each other in the dark" by city & colour listen while you read it really goes. :)

Chapter 2: Not so fresh start

I heard the church bells from afar,

But we found each other in the dark.

And when the smoke does finally pass

We will rise above all the ash.

Cause we're gonna live, we're gonna live, we're gonna live

We're gonna live, we're gonna live, we're gonna live

We're gonna live, we're gonna live, we're gonna live at last.

So bright, the flames burned in our hearts,

That we found each other in the dark.

Like beasts out in the wilderness

We are fighting to survive and convalesce.

Quinn sat in a trance inside her truck with her head on the steering wheel as rain poured down around her. She reluctantly raised her head to take in the surroundings. Looking through the rain filled front window she could only make out the blurred city lights. The colorful blurbs of light only adding to her melancholia, the unfamiliar street signs and fast pace of it all made her question yet again if this was the right decision. If coming here to escape her unhealthy relationship would only prove to be a superficial pacifier to a deep-rooted problem. Yes, Amber was the other half to the unstable equation that made up their relationship, but most of the problems steamed from Quinn's wrong doings. Quinn's inability to remain faithful and truthful. Quinn's need to feel loved from everyone around her, no matter the amount of damage this outside love would cause.

Quinn was interrupted from her thoughts by a knock to her passenger window. She couldn't help the wide smile the spread across her lips when she made out the figure outside her window. If Quinn could count on one thing in her life to be a constant it would be the woman outside her window. Beautiful inside and out, she provided Quinn with unconditional love and tough love when needed.

Quinn exited her truck and ran around to the sidewalk avoiding puddles in her wake. Her breath caught when she looked into the brown eyes that would always provide an anchor when her mind began to float.

"Santana" Quinn exhaled

Santana wrapped her arms around her best friend while taking in her appearance. Quinn's beauty always left Santana speechless. Santana always said it was a gift and a curse. The very reason Quinn was put in so many compromising positions literally and figuratively. Santana could feel the sadness that Quinn was harboring just from the simple embrace they were sharing.

"So how was the drive?"

Santana could hear a mumbled reply but she couldn't make it out due to Quinn's face being buried in her chest at the moment.

"Everything is better now San. I guess I'm getting accustomed to the lights and unfamiliarity of it all." Quinn sighed

"You act as if you have never came to visit me."

"Coming to visit somewhere temporarily and it suddenly becoming your place of permanent residence is a lot to take in for anyone San."

"Your right, lets get you up to your place."

Santana led Quinn into the lobby of their building. She hoped that Quinn could at least find comfort in living in the same building as her, Brittany and Rachel. Rachel, how would Quinn react to the brunette being two doors down from her. Santana knew very well that Quinn felt something toward Rachel but she was in no state to act on those feelings. Santana was also aware of Amber. She knew that although Quinn transferred from Yale and made the move to the big city that other girl had a grasp on Quinn unlike something she had every seen.

Santana opened the door to Quinn's loft with Quinn closely behind her. She worked all day getting Quinn's apartment settled knowing her best friend wouldn't be in any shape to set up the loft. Santana felt obligated to help her friend in her time of need, she worked all day setting Quinn's photographs and paintings along the light gray walls just the way she knew Quinn would prefer.

"San" Quinn exclaimed. She could not believe what was in front of her. Santana managed to paint, set the furniture, appliances, paintings and photographs accordingly. Quinn wondered how she deserved such an awesome best friend. She was well aware that Santana had other obligations that included preparing for the semester to begin. However, there she stood in her loft fully put together waiting for the last piece to make it a home. Her.

Santana laughed to herself . "I knew with the breakup you would be a zombie and overall useless. So there was no way I could visit my second home and sit on the floor and be forced to use plastic utensils while waiting for you to unpack. If that in fact would ever occur."

"San your too good to me. I don't deserve it."

Santana hated the way Quinn beat herself up constantly. Yes, she lied and cheated on significant others but that did not mean she was unworthy of kind gestures and love.

"Quinnie you deserve this and more. Don't be so hard on yourself you made the right decision, coming here to work on yourself and further your college career couldn't have been a better decision. Time will heal all your pain and Amber's."

Quinn felt tears roll down her cheeks at the mention of the other girl's name. She hated herself for the way she treated Amber. People always said if you love someone you do your best to make them happy, that you put them before your needs, that you can' truly love someone if you constantly lie to them. But Quinn lied because she loved Amber. The other girls meant nothing so why would she hurt the one person she cared the most about with the truth. Why create turmoil for temporary satisfaction. But as she looked around her, as she looked at Santana and around her newly decked out loft she could only think that this is where temporary satisfaction got her. A new city.

Quinn stepped forward and grabbed Santana's hand and entwined their fingers. She pulled the other girl toward her and wrapped her in a heartfelt embrace. "Thanks so much San I couldn't imagine coming her completely alone. It's hard enough. Will you.."

Before Quinn could finish her statement a knock erupted on the door followed by two figures entering her loft. Quinn looked up from the embrace and saw Brittany walking toward her with a mega watt smile. The sparkling blue eyes would always provide Quinn comfort whenever she felt uneasy. Brittany's mere presence could light Quinn up in her darkest hour. Quinn's heartbeat increased substantially as she waited for the tiny figure behind Brittany to come into focus. Quinn's breath hitched and she knew Santana could feel it due her arms still being wrapped around Quinn. Quinn was taken aback by Rachel's beauty. Even in the evening when normal people were winding down for bed, Rachel managed to look breathtaking. Quinn's eyes gazed over the smaller girls form. Had she really be gone from New York that long? Rachel was dressed in an NYADA sweatshirt and short shorts that should never been worn outside the comfort of ones room.

"Quinnie are you not happy to see me?" Brittany with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Of course B, come here." Quinn stepped out of the embrace she shared with Santana and wrapped her arms around Brittany. The taller girl put everything she had into the hug trying to display how much she missed Quinn and how happy she was to finally have her around for good.

"B, now that the rain has stopped could you help me bring in Quinn's last two boxes?" Santana knew Quinn wanted to be alone with Rachel even if Quinn didn't know it.

"Sure Sanny, but lets hurry I haven't seen Quinn in five months, we have so much to catch up on."

Santana lead Brittany out of the loft and left Rachel and Quinn alone. Rachel couldn't believe how Quinn could manage to be more stunning than the last time she saw her. Quinn's shaggy blond hair seemed to glow even in the dim lighting of her loft. Rachel couldn't remember the last time she saw Quinn in such laid back attire. Quinn had on Yale sweatpants, spiked flats that looked too expensive to be worn in such horrible weather and a Radiohead t-shirt. Rachel thought that only Quinn could pull of such a chic however laid-back look with such elegance.

"Quinn" Rachel whispered.

Quinn slowly closed the distance between them. Reaching out her hand waiting for Rachel to take it. Rachel grabbed Quinn's hand and allowed herself to be engulfed into a long overdue embrace. She loved the warmth that accompanied a hug from Quinn. No other hug could evoke such warmth that could seep through every bone and fiber of her body. Rachel's mind went blank and she couldn't think of any auditions, lists or pre semester task that she should be doing at the moment. Being pulled against Quinn's chest was as if she had somehow been pulled into the warmest and softest place on earth.

"Rachel" Quinn exhaled the breath she had been holding since the smaller girl became attached to her chest. "Rach, I can't tell you enough how much I've missed you guys..how much I've missed you."

Rachel looked up into hazel eyes and had trouble forming words, which in her twenty years of living had never been a problem. Then she remembered the reason she had not seen Quinn in five months. The reason Quinn almost got kicked out of Yale, the reason she had to listen to Santana console Quinn on more than one occasion. Rachel remembered the reason Quinn had to make the transfer from Yale to NYU and she couldn't help the disappointment that took over her. However, no matter how disappointed in Quinn she may be the disappointment could not outweigh the hurt she felt due to Quinn's absence in all of their lives. But at that moment she couldn't bring herself to lecture Quinn on her mistakes, who was she to point out Quinn's faults when she already knew how broken she was and she couldn't help the way her heart sunk when she realized that the cause of Quinn's pain was due to the girl she left in New Haven.

"Rach" Quinn said a second time shaking the smaller girl from her thoughts.

"Yes, Quinn I have in fact missed you dearly in these five months that you deprived us of your presence. Everyone falls in love Quinn, but there's a point when you need to step out of the bubble you've created with said significant other and evaluate the decisions and opportunities you are giving up due to said love. "

Quinn couldn't ignore the harsh tone that accompanied Rachel's statement. She figured she deserved it. Rachel was always one in favor of academics and Quinn shared the same sentiment. She knew Rachel disapproved of the way she treated women and the way she treated her ex girlfriend. But the way Rachel said love as if what Quinn and Amber had was something unworthy of the title. Rachel broke the embrace the two shared and looked at Quinn with intense brown eyes.

"Quinn I could only hope that your arrival to New York and impending enrollment at NYU will not be replay of your stint at Yale. To be accepted into two very prestigious universities doesn't come often and it would be shame if you just, for lack of a better word shit on yet another opportunity."

Quinn couldn't believe first Rachel's choice of words and second the inconsiderate manner she was handling Quinn's current situation. Although hurt by Rachel's words she did make a valid point. Quinn was accepted into Yale, a school only a select few were allowed to attend and she took that opportunity for granted she would not make the same careless mistake at NYU and even as Rachel tried to hide her disappoint it was written all over the brunette's face.

Quinn could only nod at Rachel's statement because she was sure her voice would betray the confidence she was trying so hard to evoke. Quinn looked upon Rachel's innocent face and wanted nothing more than to make her proud she wanted to be the person Rachel always knew she was capable of being.

Quinn's front door opened and broke the intense atmosphere that came down on the loft. Santana and Brittany entered the loft carrying the only two boxes that Quinn didn't have sent to New York before her arrival.

"Q, why didn't you have the movers handle these last boxes." Santana asked. "Those two have my photography equipment, I didn't want the movers ignoring the handle with care stickers like I'm sure they did with my other belongings."

As Quinn looked up from checking that no rainwater leaked into the boxes she noticed Rachel walking toward the front door.

"Rach" Quinn cheeks flushed at how desperate her voice sounded calling after Rachel. "Your leaving so soon, I mean you just came over?" Before Rachel could answer Quinn's question her phone began to vibrate loudly on the granite countertop.

Rachel couldn't ignore the way Quinn's hazel eyes lit up as she answered her phone.

"Hi, Ber, yea San and Britt just carried my boxes up from the truck. I made it safe no worries. I love you too, goodnight A."

For some reason Rachel could not understand why the four words caused her heart to drop nearly out of her body. She knew that Quinn broke it off with Amber before the move to New York, but that look of love pure love and adoration on her face caused by not even a thirty second call made it hard for Rachel to hold down the vomit that almost escaped her mouth.

"I'm going to head back to our apartment I'm really tired, I mean you have San and Britt…you don't need me here." With that Rachel stepped over the threshold and out of Quinn's apartment. Closing the door behind her she wiped away the stray tear that made its way down her already red cheeks. She failed to hear Brittany call after her.

"But Rach, you just woke up from your evening rejuvenating nap." The blond didn't understand why Rachel wanted to leave so quickly all she talked about that day was Quinn's arrival something must have happened during that long trip to Quinn's truck. Brittany looked back at Quinn and exhaled a frustrated breath. "Quinnie when are you going to understand the effect you have that girl, on all girls?"

Brittany rushed toward the door and after Rachel. Quinn had trouble understanding what Britt meant by the statement, which was even more confusing because she was sure that that was one of her non confusing statements. Quinn exhaled and looked toward Santana for some clarity.

"Let's leave this until tomorrow Q, I'll text Britt to let her know that I'm going to sleep with you tonight."

And there it was again how did Santana know everything she needed the moment she needed it. Santana led her upstairs to Quinn's room. Just as she was surprised with the downstairs she looked at her surroundings wondering how Santana managed to decorate her personal space so accordingly.

"Do you like it." Santana asked while unsure due to the expression Quinn's face was making at the moment. "Of course San, I have no words for how much I like it up here." Quinn looked around at the gray walls of her bedroom a lighter accent that complemented the gray and stainless steal decor of the downstairs. But something was different about the room, she immediately felt warmth radiating throughout the room that the downstairs lacked. The queen-sized bed was placed in the center of the room with just the amount of pillows that she needed for a restful sleep. Hanging over the bed was a print of her favorite Chuck Close self-portrait encased in an amazing frame.

"San, how did you do this? How did you know this would be the one thing I needed to feel like myself in this place?" Quinn exhaled a relieved breath. Her bedroom was always the place she felt most safe the place where she didn't need to worry about hurting someone or not living up to the expectations of being the perfect girl friend or the perfect anything for that matter.

Santana looked at Quinn, she looked into those hazel eyes and saw a glint of happiness that she thought was lost completely from the blonde's eyes. "Quinn I didn't."

"Huh?" Quinn barely hear Santana due to the fact that she was still marveling over her room.

"I said I didn't, I let Rach take full responsibility of putting your room together."

Quinn's heart swell immensely, although she missed Amber awfully, for the first time she could imagine life without her. She could imagine not waking up to the other girl and being content with that. Because here in New York someone knew that a single portrait of Chuck Close, that endless pillows on her bed would cause her to feel more safe and at home then the four walls of her bedroom in Lima. Quinn looked at Santana with tear filled eyes because for the first time in a long time she was crying due to happiness, happiness caused by such a simple gesture that resonated volumes within her. A gesture from the other woman that had her heart in such a vice grip.

"Rachel" Quinn whispered.

But we're gonna live, we're gonna live, we're gonna live

We're gonna live, we're gonna live, we're gonna live

We're gonna live, we're gonna live, we're gonna live

Like the rest.

Through the black starless water,

And the cold lonely air.

On the rock restless seas,

The vessel in deep disrepair.

And I swore they started singing,

But then oh, rejoice!

I can still hear your voice.

Then I heard the church bells from afar

But we found each other in the dark


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