Quinn swung softly back and forward barely lifting her feet from the ground. Her body was numb from the cold and her angelic blonde hair framed her face perfectly as the wind blew untamed wisps away from her eyes. Her coat was wrapped firmly around her and the snow settled delicately around her feet. It was already a foot deep she guessed.

The tears had lessened but they were still there none the less. Quinn could have sworn they'd turned into icicles. She just couldn't feel anymore. Not physically or emotionally.

She wrapped her arms around her still flat belly and sighed a long quivering breath. The lake was frozen over and she could just see the moonlight reflecting of it, the trees were whistling and some were bare from the harsh winter month. The snow seemed to glisten up at her inviting her to play and Quinn lost herself in the tranquillity of it all.

"Quinn?" the soft voice was barely auditable as if frightened it'd scare her, but Quinn recognized straight away who it was. She ducked her head lower and stared at the glimmering snow beneath her feet.

"Are you okay?" the voice whispered, so gently that the vulnerability it held took the breath from Quinn's lungs as she broke down once more.

The tears fell freely and she made no effort to wipe them away as they fell quicker and quicker. "Please look at me." The other girl pleaded, her voice hushed. Frightened of pushing too far.

"Why do you care?" Quinn's tone was harsh, bitter, expected. The other girl bowed her head down, sadness overwhelming her whilst the other sighed deeply.

"Come on Q, we're your friends." Santanna stepped forward. Her voice wasn't soft or reassuring but determined unlike the voice before.

Quinn instinctively stiffened. Santanna? She could have sworn the voice had belonged to someone else.

"Go away Santanna." She growled.

"No." was the short, firm response she got.

"Just leave me alone!"

"No."

"Please." Quinn's voice broke as more tears escaped, her body shaking violently.

Santanna went to step forward, but Bridget gently touched her arm stopping her from moving further towards the other girl. She titled her head towards the car and Santanna understood the hint but shook her head in response. Bridget widened her eyes in a silent plea and Santanna give in, too cold to give a shit really.

If Quinn didn't want her she wouldn't wait around freezing her ass of. She'd be there any time the girl needed her, but she'd been given her cue to leave and she graciously accepted it.

Quinn's shoulders instinctively dropped when she heard Santanna's footsteps trudge the other direction. She was amazed Santanna had actually left her alone, but grateful all the same.

"Quinn, can we talk?" it was the same comforting tone as before.

Quinn jumped slightly but then turned to see Bridget standing there, obviously freezing cold, sadness etched into her perfect features and worry seeping into her emerald green eyes. The taller girl stared straight into Quinn's eyes pleading for her to say yes. Quinn couldn't say anything. The girl had her speechless.

Bridget unwrapped her thick scarf from around her and placed it delicately around Quinn's own neck. Her ice cold fingertips accidently brushed Quinn's cheekbones and the blonde inhaled sharply, but didn't move away.

She continued staring as Bridget pulled back and knelt down in front of her, reaching for one of Quinn's hand's folded on her lap. Quinn watched every moment, butterflies swirling in her stomach.

"Quinn, why are you here?" Bridget gently questioned, no judgement in her eyes just wondering and sadness.

Quinn's voice was equally as soft. Broken some would say. She breathed in deeply and blinked, finally looking away from Bridget's concerned eyes.

"I felt suffocated."

"By us?"

"No, of course not." A tear fell again and Bridget reached out to wipe it away with her thumb.

"By me?" Bridget's voice stayed gentle, as did Quinn's, but the hurt as obvious in both voices.

"No, I need you." Quinn breathed out; feeling like a ton of bricks had just been lifted from her shoulders. "I never admitted it before, but I know it's true. You're the one helping hold me together."

"Can I ask you something?" Bridget knew she had to be careful about what she said next and hesitated when Quinn nodded her head.

"Do you regret giving her away?" Quinn's body suddenly shook violently with fresh tears and Bridget pulled her into a tight hug. Tears springing to her own eyes.

She'd heard from Rachel about the girls troubled past and unfortunately she could relate. She squeezed the girl tighter, trying her best to comfort her and silently communicate that she wasn't alone. She ran her fingers through Quinn's blonde hair and rocked softly side to side.

"Shh, it's okay baby. You've got me now" She whispered. It was taking all her will power not to break out into tears of her own.

"I'll help you through it." She promised. It pained her inside. She didn't know if it was a promise she'd be able to keep but she'd try damn hard. Quinn was beginning to mean the world to her and she finally understood where Santanna was coming from when she spoke about Brittany.

"I don't deserve that. I don't deserve you!" Quinn's voice was muffled as she buried her head further into Bridget's neck.

Bridget's tears finally fell. The fact that Quinn didn't think she deserved her made her hurt all over, she didn't know it was possible to be so disheartened and angry all at once. Her heart swelled as the need to comfort the distraught blonde became too much.

She placed one hand on Quinn's face turning her head to face her and squeezed her hand tighter. As soon as their eyes finally connected she managed a choked "Don't you ever say that!" that she fought out between tears. "Please don't ever think that." She pleaded, tears still in her eyes.

"How can I not?" Quinn sniffed, pulling back slightly. Her eyes didn't possess any bitterness towards Bridget, just a sense of unworthiness, sadness and hurt.

"Quinn your beautiful!" Bridget smiled "and I love that you are you. I wouldn't change that. Not for the world." Bridget said it with so much conviction in her deeply sexy, raspy voice that Quinn actually willingly met her eyes again, with shining eyes filled with hope. That voice always had been addictive to anyone that heard it and Quinn was no exception.

It was the first time Bridget had seen a flicker of life behind those normally glazed over eyes that she'd been waiting so desperately for. Suddenly all the lunch times filled with heavy silences or impatience (On Quinn's part) seemed worth it.

"You mean that?" Quinn sniffed again. Bridget actually laughed her usual raspy laugh at this.

"Of course I do. Always will." Bridget sighed, pulling Quinn into another hug. "And I know you probably don't want me to mention this, but I feel that I should." Quinn nodded gently. "You gave Beth the best you possibly could and she will be forever grateful. She'll grow up proud of you and one day I'm sure she'll want to meet you, but until then you must continue giving her reasons to be proud. Just like I know you can. I will be there every step of the way, I'm not leaving you and I will support all your decisions, but I need you to want that. If you don't, then tell me to walk away, not that I'll listen." She laughed and Quinn had to smile at the girls determination. "but I'll always be there if you change your mind Quinn. We'll do this together. You confuse me, you make me laugh, you make everything feel right when I know everything's not nearly as perfect as you deserve yet I will try to change that and I know I'm not perfect, but I will not go anywhere and you have to trust me when I say that I need you too. More than I ever thought I could" Bridget smiled tenderly, brushing a lock of Quinn's away from her eyes. "You understand what I'm trying to say?"

Quinn's heart felt as if it was about to burst from her chest. She smiled gently, titling her head to the side taking in every flawless detail of the girl waiting earnestly for her reply.

"I trust you. I do want this." She affectionately kissed Bridget's cheek. She was mesmerised by the feel of Bridget's cold cheek against cold lips and lingered a little to long.

She forced herself to pull backwards before she did something stupid and stood up, pulling Bridget up with her.

"Ready to go face a fierce little Latina?" Bridget laughed gesturing towards the car and Quinn had to laugh at this.

Bridget and Santanna were both as fierce as one another, but Bridget was much more in touch with her soft side especially when it came to Quinn. Just like Santanna was with Brittany, but only Brittany.

Bridget meshed their freezing hands together and the started running towards the car, giggling as the wind whipped their cheeks harshly. Neither girl cared when they had each other.

"Let's go home."

#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/

"What happened with you's two?" Santanna questioned as Bridget fell onto the sofa beside her. Cleary exhausted and emotionally drained as well, Bridget smiled unconsciously sighing as tiredness threatened to overwhelm her.

She'd carried a fragile Quinn straight to her room as soon as the girls had gotten back to the Berry residence. She was fast asleep and clearly drained. Bridget gingerly layed Quinn down on her king size bed and gently removed her shoes before timidly unwrapping the scarf from around her neck. Tenderly drawing up the duvet she tucked them gently around the sleeping blonde, completely oblivious to the brunette whose arms she'd been held in just moments ago.

Bridget stepped back and let her eyes linger on the perfect, angelic girl curled up in her bed. She was so beautiful and everything Bridget saw she automatically loved. She placed a chaste kiss on Quinn's temple and stroked her hand through the girl's fair hair before turning out the light and silently tip-toeing out the room.

"Nothing just made sure she was okay." Bridget mumbled, brushing thick luxurious hair behind her shoulders and snuggling further into a wiped out Santanna.

"Well that's a load of bull-shit so don't expect me to buy it." Santanna groaned sceptically causing Bridget to chuckle.

"Alright, it is but I promise it's nothing for you to worry about baby." Bridget smirked. She knew Santanna hated being spoken to like that but all that Santanna did in response was let out a low growl then giggle despite herself.

"You just ask for trouble."

"Always have."

"Always will." Bridget smirked and winked up at the smaller Latina. In turn Santanna smirked her famous Santanna Smirk and lent down to catch the brunettes lips in a quick meaningless kiss.

"You've been dying to do that." Bridget joked, smiling gently to the other surprised Latina.

"You've got that right." She sniggered. She couldn't believe she'd had the balls to just lean down and kiss the gorgeous girl tucked into her side. It felt amazing even if for a split second and Bridget's addictive scent lingered in the air around them making the butterflies in Santanna's stomach flutter furiously.

Bridget's incredibly sexy, raspy laugh cut through her thoughts.

"Well what can I say?" Bridget giggled before curling further into Santanna and placing her head gently on her shoulder.

"Drink your hot chocolate Britain." Santanna chuckled, handing her a mug topped with cream and marshmallows. It was a Santanna special.

"You found everything alright then ayy?" Bridget laughed sarcastically, wrapping her hands around the mug and sighing contently.

"Like that's even a question." Santanna chuckled, smiling down at Bridget.

Rachel and Brittany were still in the same position as the girls had left them in, peaceful and content as the fire raged on.

Santanna's eyes had immediately rested on the sleeping bundle that was Brittany and Bridget smiled affectionately as she took in the two girls and then Santanna's face as she watched at the blonde simply breathing in and out.

"I love her." Santanna whispered after five long minuets of silence. She thought Bridget was asleep but she just needed to say it. She needed to finally get it of her chest and say it out loud. No more hiding it. No more denying it.

"I know." Came Bridget's response. Soft and affectionate, completely understanding the girl's pain without needing to see her face.

/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/#/

As Quinn woke up to the unfamiliar surroundings of Bridget's bedroom she sighed in content. Turning over she breathed in the deep, beautiful scent of Bridget's perfume lingering on the pillows and closed her eyes.

The bedroom was girly but grown-up and oozed matureness. The collection of beige, bronze and zebra print pillows against the headrest to the girly, manikin dressed in Bridget's mum's designer collections or the zebra print rug and laminate flooring captured Bridget's personality perfectly.

Quinn eyes followed the collection of photographs placed elegantly along the window sill and she couldn't help but notice Bridget's stunning glow and bright smile, free of worries and most likely induced by alcohol in many of them.

Quinn laughed to herself, imagining Bridget's lifestyle back in England and the crazy things the girl had probably gotten herself into. There was only one photograph of Bridget with her Dad and two of Bridget with an incredibly, elegant, beautiful older woman who must have been her mum. The resemblance was too similar to miss.

In those pictures she looked happy, but something was missing and Quinn soon sat up when she realised that was the same look Bridget had been wearing every time Quinn had pushed her away. Refused to acknowledge her even.

A wave of realisation hit Quinn straight in the face like a ton of bricks when her eyes scanned one particular picture. Bridget clearly did truly understand and Quinn had pushed her away.