Okay, so following your reviews I feel pressured to point out that Rachel and Quinn have not magically sorted everything at the end of this chapter. The separation is certainly not permanent and will not be happening again as far as I can tell. I don't want to spoil anything, but in the upcoming chapters, the content will begin to be a little lighter and more humorous as Quinn and Rachel explore their relationship. This split was really a chance to show why the character of Gia is important. There is a lot of history that will be explained later on. It really just offers some subtle insight into my psychotic character of Gia and the reason Quinn is the way she is. This fic is a progressive piece of work which will unravel gradually.

The beginning of this chapter was actually a prompt that another writer PM'd me, so credit to her for the idea. Thank you very much! If anyone else has any idea's that they would like to contribute then feel free to message me. I will do my best to include them and hopefully do them justice.

As I said, keep in mind that Rachel has not magically forgiven Quinn. Quinn will have to do a fair share of grovelling for forgiveness first.

Thank you for every review/follow/favourite! Keep'em coming if you like this chapter. This contains some swearing and a slightly aggressive scene between Quinn and Gia.

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"Follow me," She took me by the hand again and walked another twenty feet off the path before entering the beautiful little meadow that over looked the scenery below the high hill that we were standing on. Distant ponds could be seen glowing as the dimming sun played off of their placid surfaces. The shadows cast by the trees danced in the light breeze that was blowing and the purple wild flowers reached upwards as if to soak up the last of the sun.

"How on earth did you ever find this place?" I asked. Gia stood beside me, slightly protected by the tree's overhead that offered shade. For the first time, I noticed that a light dusting of freckles were sprinkled across her nose – perhaps from the endless days in the sun. She smiled brightly, her dimples deepening as I turned to face her fully.

"It's a secret." She tweaked her eyebrows and waited for me to absorb my surroundings. It was truly beautiful. I was determined to take my mind of Rachel, but surely just one more moment couldn't break my heart as I thought of us sitting here together under the stars. When I opened my eyes her smile was gone again. "I thought you could use a few wishes tonight." Gia smiled. She pointed to the right where a heron stood completely frozen, surveying the surrounding land as the sun begun to turn from blue to pink. "When I was a little girl, before my mom left, she used to bring me here. Every time we saw a heron, she would tell me to make a wish."

"Is this the only memory you have of her?" I asked gently, curious about her past. She looked away from me, into the distance. Gia didn't talk about her mother's absence often - since it opened old wounds like her fear of rejection or her tendency to avoid commitment – but for once, she turned to me and nodded.

"This is the only memory I remember clearly. It's very special to me." Gia admitted with a smile as she pulled out two large blankets from a bag she'd hidden behind a tree. She laid one down on the ground next to the tree and sat down, calling for me to sit next to her. "I don't bite."

"I highly doubt that!" I scoffed, joining her against the tree.

She smirked. "Well, I'll only bite if and when it's necessary-" I smiled. "So, are you going to tell me what happened earlier?"

I sighed deeply, tipping my head back to rest it against the bark. I could feel her eyes watching me with warranted curiosity. "Do you really want to know?"

I was hesitant to explain myself to Gia. Firstly, because it was now dawning on me that I needed Rachel, and secondly because I didn't actually want Gia. I wanted the spontaneity, not the girl herself. This wasn't a reflection on Gia personally, just a glitch in my messy logic. I also started to think of Beth. Rachel was wonderful with her, regardless of the situation with Shelby. There was no reason why we couldn't work through our issues together. I had believed the issues were purely mine and that to drag Rachel into them was unfair, but now I was beginning to see that we needed to work through them together. It was all one big messy mistake that would be hard to redeem myself from.

I watched two herons take flight above our heads, swirling in perfect circles as they danced together in the sky. Rich blades of grass swayed back and forth and the hard, dry soil had begun to crack. The huge looping tree that offered us a canopy to sit beneath was worn and tired, dried up from the constantly harsh sun.

I squinted at Gia who insisted firmly that I tell her what had happened. "C'mon Q, it's me. You met me when I had nothing but an empty apartment and a bag of coke to my name. There are no secrets anymore."

"I suppose." I admitted in the stillness, remembering what she had and what she'd lost. "We pulled through though, didn't we?" I added, hoping to tinge the conversation with a hint of positive energy.

"Just about, but I wasn't in a good place. You know that. If I didn't have photography as an outlet for all the different sides of me, I would probably be locked up somewhere."

"Yeah, but you have been through something very few people can sympathize with." I reminded her."And if being sane is thinking there's something wrong with being different...I'd rather be completely fucking mental anyway!"

"Hey! I'm not mentally unfit…yet." She grinned, pulling a half empty packet of cigarettes from her back pocket. "I'm eccentric. It's an entirely different thing."

"Okay." I laughed, flicking her lighter repeatedly until the flame appeared, absorbing the end of her cigarette in orange sparks. When she offered me one, I took it, needing something to drain the anxious tension from my veins. She lit it for me, and then stuffed the packet back in her pocket.

"When you're ready to tell me what happened, I'll be listening." She promised, resting her head on my shoulder. "No pressure."

I nodded, pulling my thoughts together. Even though I loved Rachel, I couldn't express the depth of my feelings for her. It was like I'd run out of words. I glanced at Gia who sat perfectly still under the rapidly appearing stars, taking deep, steady breaths as she dragged on her cigarette. Finally, I could see where my feelings for her stopped. I loved her, adored her even, but I could never give her the things she wanted when I so badly wanted to give them to someone else.

A complete absence of sound swallowed us as we sat motionless, puffing on cigarette's. It seemed to stretch on forever as we watched the sky begin its transition from liquid blue to solid navy. We didn't say anything. We didn't even move. We immersed ourselves in the quiet of the night.

Eventually, I cleared my throat and ultimately stuttered the words "We broke up," with a broken and distance voice that didn't even sound as if it belonged to me. Gia's face whipped around to meet mine, her eyes wide and disbelieving.

"You are joking, right? Please don't tell me you're serious!"

My body crumbled and tears rapidly began to form. I brushed them away fiercely. "I thought I needed time." I managed to say through my clenched jaw. "I hate pretending that my heart isn't breaking every time I look into her eyes. I just feel so guilty all the time and…and…I didn't know what to do…I was so fucking stupid Gia! Everything is my fault…"

"Why? Did you break up with her?" Gia questioned, confused.

I nodded, although technically that wasn't the truth. I had never actually said the words 'I'm breaking up with you'. But I'm guessing I didn't really leave Rachel any choice but to assume that's what I'd wanted.

"I twisted it around in my head and told myself I was doing what was best for her, but that isn't even remotely honest." I dropped my head into my hands, plunging myself into darkness. I felt Gia's hand run down my back, soothingly repeating circles across the width of my back.

"So what are you doing here with me, Quinn? You should be out there somewhere, with Rachel, telling her how you really feel-"

"I know, I know…" I said, refusing to look up. My skin turned cold beneath her touch and I suddenly felt very, very guilty. Gia kicked up the fallen leaves and the magic of this beautiful place suddenly drained away as they navy sky turned to grey. My regret was evident and the emotional break in my voice continued to crack until I could barely string a single sentence together. "Now that she's a part of me, I really cannot function without her." I admitted.

"Then get up!" Gia ordered, finding her feet easily. I felt her tapping my shoulder. "Get up!" she repeated, this time more urgently. I lifted my head, looking up to meet her impatient face. I scrambled to my feet, confused. "You are going to sort yourself out and whilst you're at it, you can fix your relationship too."

I stared at her perplexed. Surely she wasn't serious?

"You can either stand here with me all night, or you can get Rachel back… You're choice, but it doesn't seem to be a very difficult decision from where I'm standing. You don't understand how lucky you are to even have a chance with her and if you won't take it, I will."

I glared at her, secretly praying that she was joking. There was no way I could convince Rachel to choose me if Gia became my competition. The looming threat of Gia actually falling for Rachel cut deep. "Don't you dare lay a finger on her!" I warned, suddenly defensive. "Do you understand?"

She smirked, just begging to push me further into a corner. She was waiting to get a rise of me - something that affirmed my loyalty to Rachel. "I'm the boss; so technically, I'll do whatever the fuck I like."

This time, I knew she was just testing me to see how deep my loyalty ran. It turned out, it ran much deeper than I'd expected since my chest tightened and my jaw screwed shut at the thought of Gia and Rachel together. "You wouldn't dare do that..." I said, staring at her fiercely.

"I might, if you don't get your shit together."

For the first time, Gia's eyes flickered with an emotion I could not register. She seemed genuinely pissed now as I pushed her away from me.

"Stay away from her!" I hissed.

Gia pinned me back against the tree trunk, holding me hostage. I wasn't scared or even threatened by the prospect of what could happen next. I just wanted to hear what she had to say. I had only seen this side of Gia once before when she protected me from a slightly over friendly local at a bar. The extra four inches that she had over me helped her keep me pinned back. I was unable to struggle free.

She lowered her voice to a whisper, bringing her lips dangerously close to my neck. My nose filled with the familiar scent of her DKNY perfume and coconut shampoo. "You better fight for her to the death, Fabray. Do you hear me? You don't want to end up like me."

My pulse throbbed and my mouth ran dry. The feel of her skin against mine somehow rendered me to the spot – I was immobilised - unable to escape. "Let me go." I snarled.

She increased the pressure of her toned, slender body against mine, her eyes serious and unrelenting. "Then step up and take responsibility!" Her words seemed to trigger a force in me and that urged me to struggle against her hold. I raked my nails across her back. She slammed me back against the tree harder. "Saying 'I love you' takes three seconds to say, Quinn, and it takes about three hours to explain, but it takes a lifetime to prove. You need to start fighting for her – for your own sake as well as hers! "

I paused, taking deep, uneven drags of air into my lungs. My veins pulsed beneath my skin and my head spun. "Rachel makes me feel like the luckiest person in the whole world." I said, gritting my teeth together. "And if she lets me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make her feel the same way! So, just stay away from her!"

Finally, I seemed to have said the right thing. Gia smiled, leaning back slightly. Her eyes were still stern and forceful, but her grip loosened around my wrists. She locked our hands together instead, a gesture that proved she wasn't doing this out of hate, but out of necessity. She was telling me the things I needed to hear, pushing me to the limit, and making me feel something.

I stared her cold, empty eyes and yearned for the old Gia to return. I leant forward slowly, easing her weight of me. She smirked. "Just a word of advice for the future, baby – don't challenge a crazy person."

Our lips brushed. I whispered, hoping to offer words of assurance. "You're not crazy – this is life not heaven, and you don't have to be perfect."

She lingered there, connecting our eyes and twining her hands up towards the back of my neck, into my hair. The golden flecks in her eyes hardened, glittering down at me, and in that moment she looked so beautiful, she appeared to be almost inhuman.

"Quinn?" she whispered, her voice rough and raspy. Our lips were still only inches apart. I swallowed hard, pushing any kind of temptation away. It reminded me so badly of her more vulnerable days, influenced by coke or heroin rather than raw emotion.

Gia loosened her grip on me, but neither of our postures relaxed. She glanced back over her shoulder, towards the trail we had emerged from an hour or so previously. Then she nodded towards it. At first, I didn't know what she was hinting. Then, when her lips turned upwards into a smirk and her eyes became excited rather than hostile. That's when I understood. She brought her lips to my ears, brushing over the spot where my pulse throbbed. "Just. Go. For. It. Stop being so scared."

I inhaled deeply. "I don't fear anything." I lied.

She scoffed, shaking her head. Her arms were either side of me now, holding me against the tree. "You're scared of loving someone. You're scared of rejection. You're scared of pain-"

"Feel free to stop any time soon-" I interjected.

She rolled her eyes. "All I'm saying is that once you've accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you."

I nodded, feeling her grip loosen a little further until we were standing close due to personal choice rather than the pressure of the tree trunk behind me. "How do you make it all sound so simple?" I asked. "I would love to see the world through your eyes – just for a day."

"I would gladly trade to be in your position."

I hesitated. "Thank-you, Gia." I said beneath my breath. "Thank-you for making me see sense."

"It's really not that difficult-" she shrugged. "Love one person; take care of them until you die. You know, raise kids. Have a good life. Be a good friend. And try to be completely who you are. And figure out what you personally love. And like go after it with everything you've got no matter how much it takes."

My smile broadened - the equality between us slowly returning. I nodded. "I will."

She turned away from me, finally convinced. I smiled at her, grateful for her psychotic tendencies and then looked towards the trail we used to enter the meadow in the first place, which was now nothing more than a dark clearing between two massive evergreen trees. "Race me?" I asked.

She grinned. "It would be my honour to kick your ass."

I laughed. "Don't get too cocky. I can be quick." I warned, but it was too late. She was already leaving, swiping up the blanket as she left, laughing.

"I can afford to be cocky because I know the way out!" she shouted from the distance, somewhere where she was disguised by trees.

"Fuck!" I growled.

Turns out, there was a tiny flaw in my plan to out smart her after all.

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After what seemed like an eternity, we were finally back in New York, winding our way through the crowds in Gia's white Audi TT. Time Square glittered in the distance as Gia pulled into the side entrance of a local bar. It was 11pm by the time I finally made it to Rachel's apartment with a bunch of roses and a letter, written by me. I had left Gia at the bar, talking to a blonde woman named Cassie.

When I got to Rachel's apartment I didn't knock, since I didn't want to wake her. Instead, a left the bunch of roses and the letter outside her apartment, hoping they wouldn't wilt and die overnight. Then, I found my way to the rooftop where I sat and waited for dawn to break.

Thankfully, it was the middle of July, so the temperatures didn't drop to ridiculous lows. I fell asleep in a chair that had obviously been long forgotten and awoke to the sound of garbage trucks backing their way down West 42nd Street.

Once my eyes adjusted to light, I was able to enjoy the sunrise. The sky turned from pale pink, to orange then to baby blue. It was the first time I had watched the sunrise in New York and I felt as though I was cheating the day by saving a little slither of it just for myself. I found myself yearning for my camera, so that I could soak up the memory of this precious morning before every New Yorker rose and the hustle and bustle of city life begun.

I glanced at my phone. Seven am. I had approximately an hour before Rachel was due to wake up since it was a Saturday and she liked to be awake early enough to go for a jog in Central Park before it got too crowded.

I pulled myself up from the chair, my muscles stiff and unresponsive. Taking once last glance at the beautiful July morning, I headed back into the apartment complex. Outside Rachel's apartment, the letter and roses still remained untouched. I reached for the spare key, hidden somewhere along the top of the door frame.

I gently opened the apartment door, eager to impress Rachel as best as I could. I took myself of into the kitchen and suddenly began prepping for blue cornmeal pancakes draped in raspberry sauce – her favourite. Whilst they were cooking, I grabbed a breakfast tray and prepared the roses and letter on top, leaving space for the fresh orange juice and pancakes.

Before I knew it, the kitchen was cleaned, the pancakes were freshly prepared and Rachel was due to wake anytime soon. I pulled my phone from my pocket.

Hey, baby.

I have some explaining to do. I'm waiting for you. Q

The message went through with a satisfying bleep and I returned to the kitchen. My heart was thumping and my ears were ringing just with the thought of actually facing Rachel after yesterday. I felt awful and I probably looked it too. Just as I turned around with the tray in my hand, I caught a glimpse of Rachel stood in the doorway of her bedroom with a massive smile across her lips. She looked so beautiful that it hurt, and my eyes bulged seeing her surprisingly long legs exposed in a tiny nightdress. She was flawless.

"Hey."

"What are you doing here, Quinn?" Rachel asked, her arms folded across her chest. Although I expected her to be angry, she appeared to be the opposite. Her smile deepened when I struggled to form any words.

"I…Um…I wanted to, uh, explain myself." I held the tray out towards her. "Pancakes?"

She laughed. "Did you make them?"

I nodded. "Then no thank-you."

"Hey!" I laughed. "That's not fair, it's your recipe."

She edged forward slightly, as if trying to gauge their edibility from the other side of the room. "Okay, I'll try them whilst you start explaining yourself to me." She said. "It's a compromise."

I smiled, carrying the tray over to the table. I pulled out a chair for Rachel who tentatively sat down, regarding the pancakes with caution, and then I sat down opposite her.

"What are they?" She asked with an ounce of amusement.

I scrunched my nose. "Well, they're meant to be your favourite; blue cornmeal pancakes with raspberry sauce." I explained. "Can't you tell?"

She frowned, trying not to smile. "Not really. This could just be a pile of mush for all I know. I mean, how did you manage to murder the recipe for pancakes, Quinn?"

"I happen to think they look quite nice." I defended, nodding towards the orange juice. "You might want to have some of that nearby though if you're actually going to try them."

She laughed. "It's obvious you tried. Perhaps I'll make us both something edible after we've had a conversation about yesterday. That's if you're planning on sticking around?"

"Yes, that'll be nice." I nodded. "Thank you."