Quinn woke up and looked around her small room. She had moved to an apartment with her mother, and her father was still in that huge house where all her things were located. Quinn grimaced, her back hurt like Hell as she sat up and looked down at her bed. Cheap bunky board things with wood sticking out of it, it dug into her back every night.

"MOM ARE YOU AWAKE?" Quinn yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice raw from shouting the night before.

"Quinn shut up." Said a voice from across the hall. Quinn frowned and walked out of her room to see her mother in the bathroom, hair askew and make up running, "I went out last night, and then passed out, I'm getting ready for work right now Q." Her mom said in a tired voice.

"You just can't go back to sleeping." Quinn muttered. Her hazel eyes searched her mother's face. Her mother smiled sadly.

"I won't. I promise."

"Okay Mom. I have to go get my uniform on though, did Dad send you my monthly allowance or whatever it is?" Quinn asked, she needed the money for lunch.

"Yeah." Her mom said, she stared at her own reflection. Judy hated that she still needed Russell's help to support her daughter, but then again he should be. He paid his child support and sent money in cash for Quinn each month. "It's on the counter, still in the envelope."

"Thanks Mom." Quinn ran her hand through her blond hair and wandered back to her room where she dug out her cheerio's uniform and scanned the floor for her hair tie.

She found a purple one and held her uniform in her hand, it wasn't freshly washed like it should be, because they didn't have the money for the laundry mat. Her father might have sent enough money for her to go the laundry mat and wash her uniforms, this was the second day she had to wear it. She made her way to the bathroom and watched as her mom scooted out, and stared at her. "Seriously Q, this cheerleading is costly."

"It'll get me a scholarship to school." Quinn said coldly, she slammed the bathroom door and turned to her reflection. Her hazel eyes were the same shade of hazel that was the beautiful color many people were jealous of. Her nose, petite and fake, she regretted that a little, getting rid of her former self. But she focused on her hair, growing in dark, her roots just barely noticable. Good thing her father's money came in, she could buy some hair dye and be blond again. She had no time for a job with her cheerleading, glee club, and trying to keep up her grades. Not to mention taking care of her mother. She rolled her eyes and started the shower, ready to get in.

Rachel sat at the kitchen table as Hiram Berry set down a plate of vegan waffles in front of her. "How is my baby Berry?" He asked in a soft voice. Rachel sighed.

"Daddy, I'm perfectly fine. I just was wondering about Noah, what he was up to yesterday, I worry that he might be cheating on his latest girlfriend who is a sweet girl." Rachel said carefully, not revealing it was actually Quinn she worried about.

"You're worried about Noah? I thought you two didn't really talk that much." Hiram said in a confused tone. He sat down across from his daughter who just shook her head.

"Well actually I worry about everyone." Rachel said, she looked at her plate and took small bites.

"You worry to much." Leroy boomed as he joined his small family, he smiled sweetly at his only child and dug in to the vegan waffles happily.

"I suppose Daddy," Rachel grinned emptily and slowly ate her breakfast.

Rachel wasn't in the mood to eat, she needed to see Quinn's face, she needed to see Quinn's smile, but Quinn had left her and so now she was alone. Finn was an option, but that tall oaf creeped her out the way he stared at her chest when she wore those tight sweaters. She shook her head to shake the feeling off and her dad's watched her sadly, knowing what she might be thinking about.

Quinn walked into school, her hips swinging in her uniform and her eyes narrowed. She wasn't narrowing her eyes to appear bitchy, she had lost all urges to put up such a facade. Her eyes were narrowed because she was bitchy. She felt bitchy, her dad had left a letter begging her to stay with him this weekend, the thought made her shudder. The thought of what he did to her and her mother, never getting caught or legally punished for the threats he had put upon the two women. She shuddered again and almost bumped into a scared freshman.

"S-ss-orry Quinn!" said the small voice.

"Oh, it's okay." Quinn muttered. She frowned at the freshman and kept going, the freshman gawked, he had heard things about the girl that bumped into him and he shook his head.

Quinn kept walking, lost in her own thoughts, and not paying attention to Rachel who was watching her. Rachel stood by Quinn's locker and took a deep breath.

"Quinn?" She asked. Quinn looked up.

"Rachel?" Quinn grinned with out thinking and pulled the small girl into a hug. Rachel squealed and Quinn let her go.

"I see that was enthusiastic of you, considering our history." Rachel said in a tight lipped voice.

"Rachel, how many times do I need to-"

"No, listen, why would you do that to Lauren and Puck?" Rachel put her hand up, her brown eyes peering into hazel.

"I'm sorry?" Quinn cocked her head to the side and peered down at her ex girlfriend.

"You know very well what I am talking about." Rachel scolded.

"Puck went to talk to me, we didn't hook up." Quinn said. "But besides that, how are you? I miss you,"

"Quinn stop." Rachel muttered. She walked away, her heart racing, and couldn't bring herself to turn around and see Quinn's face.

Which is a good thing. Quinn watched Rachel with sad eyes, her heart sunk down to her knees, and she instantly regretted ever leaving Rachel. Quinn felt her eyes tearing up but quickly wiped at her eyes, she couldn't cry now, not in school. Not before class. She looked at her reflection, her pretty face had red eyes, and a red nose. "Fuck." Quinn muttered, her eyes dropped and she slammed her locker and walked to class.

SOPHOMORE YEAR...QUINN AND RACHEL

Rachel stood by Quinn's locker, grinning, "I missed you this weekend, how are you?" she said in a cheery voice.

"I missed you." Quinn said with a small smile, but her eyes looked far away.

"I hope so. I have a schedule for you of my week and when I am free to hang out, because you seem so busy, I figured you could figure out your schedule also and we could see each other." Rachel smiled at her girlfriend, who looked beautiful in her cheerio's uniform.

"Rachel, I can't, my mom needs me." Quinn said. She had revealed the night before her parent's were divorcing.

"I can help." Rachel said.

"No." Quinn panicked, she could not have her little Berry in that house, around her father, and around the fighting.

"Well okay," Rachel said in a hurt voice, "I should get going, I love you..." Rachel slowly backed away from her girlfriend.

"I love you Rachel." Quinn stepped forward and pulled her girlfriend into a hug, soaking up the warmth and feeling happy, truly happy, her missing pieces coming together in this one embrace.

A/N I hope you like this chapter, I know it's kind of slow, but this story means a lot to me so I need to think about how to proceed. I also feel the need to say that even though this resembles my life in a close way, my father is not at all like the man portrayed in this fanfiction. He is a sweet man who has helped me in many ways.

So review, and thanks for all the follows I got, this is amazing. :)