A/N: I'm thinking about adding Brittany and Santana to the character listing because I think they are a pretty important couple in the story, being the Hero/Claudio storyline. Does anyone think that's the right choice? Faberry is still my main focus, obviously.

Also, massive thanks to 'Midwinternight'. Was feeling very lost as to where I was going to go next with this fic, despite Shakespeare having very kindly left me a nice framework to base it on; but your very nice review made me want to just give the next chapter go, and now I've got a full game-plan for the rest of the fic! Hope you enjoy the chapter, I'll admit I'm not 100% happy with it, but...

Don't cry out loud

Just keep it inside, learn how to hide your feelings

Fly high and proud

And if you should fall, remember you almost had it all

- Don't Cry Out Loud

Quinn looked up from her case as Puck pushed open the door and flung himself carelessly onto the bed.

He looked up into her death-glare, confused. 'What?'

Quinn rolled her eyes. 'The door, Puckerman'.

He huffed, and scooted over to the edge of the bed to kick it shut with one foot. 'Better?'

'You were supposed to be on the other side, but that'll do' Quinn conceded. 'I don't know why I bothered with your 'how-to-be-a-gentleman-and-not-a-walking-innuendo' classes; you still don't bother to knock'.

'Cranky' Puck noted. 'Ran into Rachel then?'

Quinn glared at him and he held his hands up in surrender. 'Just saying, you're normally not this crazy any more'.

Giving up on unpacking her stuff whilst the boy had his feet draped his feet into her case, the blonde sighed and flumped onto the bed to lie perpendicular to him, head on his bony knees. 'Guess not', she mumbled.

There was a pause as Puck waited. 'She's just so... so Rachel!' Quinn burst out, as he had known she would. 'It's like, she hasn't changed at all. She's exactly the same as she was six years ago!' She puffed through her bottom lip, blowing away the fronds of hair that had fallen into her face.

Puck laughed. 'She's Rachel, Quinn. What did you expect?'

Quinn sat up again, unable to contain her agitation. Her legs clunked violently against the side of the bed. 'I don't know, I just didn't think she was still going to be... well... Rachel!' she whined, perfectly aware of how childish she sounded and hating herself for it.

'Don't know what you're complaining about', Puck said, popping a piece of gum into his mouth. 'You used to think that 'being Rachel' was just about as hot as it got, and I gotta say-' he began, a smirk spreading across his face before Quinn cut him off.

'Don't even go there, Puck', she warned, crinkling her face in distaste.

She looked up as her door swung open once more, this time to reveal Brittany. Quinn didn't even bother trying to tell the girl off for not bothering to knock – it was even more of a lost cause than reprimanding Puck.

'Hey guys!' she said, cheerfully bouncing onto the bed next to the pair so that Quinn felt a little winded from the way the mattress jerked upwards.

'Hey Britts', she grumbled.

Brittany looked at her for a moment with wide eyes. 'You've been talking to Rachel' she observed.

Quinn flung her hands up to the air and flopped back onto the bed in exasperation. 'God Damn it, why does everyone keep saying that?' she exclaimed.

'Because it's true?' Puck offered, helpfully. He merely chuckled at the glower she sent him.

Brittany watched the blond carefully for a moment.

'How was she?' she asked, unusually quiet for such a vibrant girl.

Quinn tensed and she knew Puck had felt it as the two waited for her reply. She thought about the rose garden and about the way Rachel's eyes had looked at hers as if she had no idea who this girl in front of her was.

She rolled herself off of the bed and flipped to her feet. 'Still Rachel' she said, with some reluctance, and Brittany almost laughed at the way Quinn's voice hovered between begrudging love, infuriation and confusion.

'I see your problem', she replied, her voice a little too understanding for Quinn's liking.

QFRB

Rachel herself was on the elliptical in the gym, running more furiously than she had in years.

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts pounded through her earphones and the knowledge that they were one of Quinn's favourite bands only spurred her on more.

'Stupid' she muttered to herself as she grew faster without realisation. 'Stupid Rachel' she told herself bitterly, scrunching her eyes up so she wouldn't see Quinn's in front of her.

Santana paused in the doorway, torn between amusement and confusion at the girl's craziness. She shrugged and stepped forward, she'd wanted a stint on the rowing machine anyway. She was damned if she was going to let that smug Constable Hudson win any more arm wrestles when she got back home.

She ignored the other girl, and took her seat at the machine, slowly finding her groove as she pulled and released the handles. She'd heard a lot about this Rachel girl, first from Puck after Quinn accidentally dropped her name once then clammed up like a friggin', well, clam; and then from Quinn herself when she'd got her drunk one night for a laugh.

The pair continued like this for a little while, Rachel still unaware of Santana's presence until she started belting out 'I Love Rock and Roll' along with her ipod and the Latina just burst out laughing.

Rachel looked around, startled, only for her gaze to harden when it fell on the other girl. She slowed the machine to a halt and unplugged her earphones, stepping down to face Santana, who obligingly stopped rowing.

'I didn't know you were here', she said, her tone more than a little accusatory.

Santana shrugged, amused, though slightly confused, by the girl's obvious dislike for her. 'Duh', she replied easily.

Rachel bristled, then seemed to shrug it off, instead examining the girl as if weighing her up. 'You're Quinn's assistant?'

Snorting, Santana rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, she'd like to think so'.

Rachel smiled in spite of herself before her face hardened once more and she turned away to pick up the sweatshirt from the floor. 'Aren't there rules against sleeping with your team?'

Santana nodded, then crinkled her eyebrows in disgust as she realised why Rachel was being so cold to her. 'One: yes we do; two: I am NOT sleeping with Q! I am waaaay out of her league', she smirked.

Rachel looked up, surprised. 'Oh I, I thought... I heard you were her new protegee, and after the last time I heard those words...' she trailed off.

Santana stretched back her neck and laughed. 'She doesn't sleep with all of us, you know'.

Rachel fixed her eyes on the girl with an expression that said she clearly did not find the situation in the least amusing. 'Seemed that way to me', she retorted, before executing a perfect, Copyright: , Diva storm out.

Santana whistled, impressed by the dramatics. 'She needs to get laid', she muttered to herself.

QFRB

As Santana headed out of the gym, she caught sight of Puck and Quinn down on the tennis courts, fiddling with a net that was clearly refusing to untangle. She snorted and, deciding to take pity on them, followed the stairs down into the garden to help. She was after all, an ace at both tying and untying knots. No one was ever sure whether this was due to her experience in the force or merely from bondage sex, but she certainly had a way with ropes.

As she reached the huffing pair, Quinn looked up and spotted her. 'Gross, San. You're dripping sweat everywhere'.

The girl simply grinned. 'You just wish I was dripping it on you, barbie'.

Quinn flipped her the finger and the girl laughed. 'Now that's not very polite, is it? Don't you want me to help?'

'Don't be a bitch and give us a hand', Puck put in, frustrated by the devious workings of the tennis net.

'Why should I?'

Quinn ground her teeth in irritation. 'Cause if you don't, you cow, I'm gonna...'

Puck rolled his eyes at the pair and cut in. 'I'll tell you how to woo Brittany', he offered in a sing-song voice.

Santana scoffed. 'Why would I need your help in that?'

Puck simply leaned back on the net-posts and shrugged. 'If you don't want tickets to the perfect opportunity to win your girl...'

Santana raised her eyebrows before giving in with a laugh. 'Alright, I was going to help anyway'. She gave Quinn a shit-eating grin as the blonde muttered expletives at her behaviour. Clearly, being at the Berry House was not agreeing with the blonde. 'What's this big opportunity anyway?'

Quinn finally gave up on the net and allowed Santana to take over, flopping back on the ground in relief. It was too hot for this. 'It's some dumb masquerade party the Berries are hosting', she grumbled.

Puck nodded in agreement. 'You don't really need tickets, I was just trying to get you to help. Anyway, they forgot to mention it, but it's tomorrow evening so we'll have to go get masks tomorrow I guess. And you've got to ask Brittany to be your partner tonight'.

Santana uncharacteristically bit her lip, a little nervous. 'Won't she already have a partner?'

Quinn sat up and an evil grin spread over her previously disgruntle features. 'Is Santana Lopez seriously being shy?'

Santana cut her a death glare. 'No, I'm just saying.. she's pretty fit and there must be a few guys around here that would want to go with her'. Quinn's delighted expression told her that she didn't believe Santana's denial in the slightest, but the girl chose to ignore it.

'Better go and find out, then', Puck told her.

Santana hesitated as Quinn gave her a nudging kick in the shins. She looked over at the trio of girls waiting in the shade for the net to be erected. 'But...'

Quinn gave her a firm push this time and the girl stumbled forward, catching the attention of Tina, who smiled and nudged Brittany to look up.

Santana cursed under her breath, then, with a forced smile, approached the blonde to talk.

As she got nearer, Rachel looked up too and, realising the girl's intentions, narrowed her eyes. They were all very protective of Brittany and the idea of this snarky bitch getting her clutches on her... she gave a satisfied smile as she saw Santana gulp nervously before opening her mouth to speak. She'd give her one chance.

'H- hi, Brittany', the Latina greeted, breathlessly. She cringed at her own awestruck-fangirl voice. 'I know we didn't really speak much earlier, but you seem really wonderful - nice' she corrected herself, cringing again. Was this how most people felt when they approached women? No wonder they hated doing it. 'Um, I mean, you're great and' stop being so fucking weak, she scolds herself. Be assertive. 'Go to the ball with me' she says, and it's so friggin assertive it's a fucking command! She openly winces this time. 'No, sorry, that was...' she took a deep breath and started again, trying not to notice how the other two brunettes were clearly fighting back laughter. Brt=ittany simply looked up at her with smiling eyes and waited, patiently. 'Brittany, would you like to be my partner for the masquerade tomorrow night?' she enunciates, making sure she speaks evenly and clearly in an effort to undo the last few moments.

The blonde gives her a massive grin. 'I'd love to San' and the girl smiles as wide as she possibly can at both her agreement and her nick-name.

'Thank you! I mean...' she shakes her head at herself and this time Brittany giggles.

'You're cute', she says, standing up and leaning in to peck the startled girl on the cheek. 'Now go and help Q put up the net before Rachel goes crazy at all of us!' she teases softly.

Santana gives a dumb nod and finds herself stumbling back to Quinn and Puck whilst the three girls collapse into laughter.

Rachel thinks she probably doesn't have to worry about this supposed womaniser with her Brittany.

She looks across to where Santana has rejoined her two friends and sees Quinn likewise doubled over in mirth as the Latina glares at her, and she catches the blonde's eye. They share a broad, amused grin before both come to their senses and Rachel looks away, sharply.

She does not see the way Quinn's eyes go dull, even as she begins ribbing Santana mercilessly as the girl tries, and fails, to shut her and Puck up at the same time.

'All this over a girl!' she mocks, laughing, although the words hit her own stomach with just a little too much bitterness.

Santana covers her mouth with her hands and sits on her stomach, blushing profusely. 'Whatever. Fuck you, blondie - you're gonna be alone for ever'.

Quinn scoffs. 'Oh god, don't start talking about true lurve to me', she retorts. 'What a load of crap'.

She says it, though every sinew in her aching heart begs to differ.

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