~ The Unlikely
The Forth Passage ~

K.L.

A/N: I realise the last chapter and the lack of Quinn/Rachel interactions makes people question my direction with the story and may have caused many to lose interest but I promise you this is all going somewhere.

After dinner Puck – though he worked to clean pools – demanded he be able to play in the pool even after Rachel's adamant lecture on swimming immediately after eating. His oh so elegant cannonball into still waters paved the way for the rest - Mike, Matt and Finn all following his lead with their own unique entrance despite multiple protests from the petite brunette.

Even Mercedes and Tina ventured a quick dip, with Kurt lounging beside the pool, umbrella in hand both to ward off the sun as well as the stray droplets of water. Artie for obvious reasons remained by the side, acting as the boys score keeper for their game of water football.

Brittany and Santana were inside still working at the dishes and after Puck's childish declaration Quinn had turned on her heels, declining the many requests to join, and entered the house.

Chocolate orbs watched with great curiosity the silent exchange between Noah and Quinn before the latter had retreated into the house. Rachel didn't miss the hurt expression that flashed across their resident stud's face and her heart went out to the mohawk boy. She knew what it felt like to be put down – brushed aside – and it was then that Rachel knew they shared something in common; something more than being 'hot Jews'.

Moments later Brittany emerged from the house, bubbles covering the girl from head to toe, "Rachel!"

The brunette seemed puzzled. Though the two were in the Glee club it wasn't any secret they weren't friends "Ah, yes Brittany to what do I owe the pleasure?" Rachel had always wondered why that was. Brittany wasn't like the other jocks; her smile knew no bounds, and her heart loved with a capacity like no other.

Still Rachel felt hesitant.

"Q told me she saw my duck out here somewhere... He's about this tall and if you tilt your head like this he kind of looks like Mr. Thomason."

"A duck?" Rachel found her brows furrowing in confusion pointing her index finger toward her own chest as if to clarify, "You want me to help you find a duck?"

"Of course you silly are there any other Rachel's in the yard?" Baby blue eyes scanned the open space before widening in shock, "Wait, is there!"

Hands waved up and down in a swift motion, "No, no Brittany I am the only Rachel here. So about this du-"

"Oh thank goodness," A hand was brought to wipe the invisible sweat from the blonde's brow, "For a minute I was worried the strange girl who wears funny sweaters with doll faces on them, who lives across the street from Patches and is always making funny faces was here. Oh and he's not just any duck. He's my duck. San got him for me."

Rachel wasn't sure if the blonde was somehow referring to her or to some other funny sweater wearing individual – God forbid there be more than one in Lima. "That was very nice of her to do," It was hard to imagine Santana Lopez being anything but… well Santana Lopez with her attitude that screamed 'Don't fuck with me or I'll rip your eyes out - bitch' and all those other lovely traits that made Santana who she was, "What does your duck look like Brittany?" But then again maybe there was something Rachel hadn't seen – another side to the other brunette. A side that bought her best friend a duck, linked pinkies, shared warm smiles, a more normal side if that was even possible.

"Well he's white with an orange hat…" The Cheerio strummed her fingers atop her lips, creasing her brow in concentration, "And he's really cute!"

After several moments of silence – when Rachel was sure the blonde was lost in a daydream of her beloved duck – the brunette cleared her throat, drawing the blonde back to Earth. "Well that's… great? Why don't we just start looking – we can start over by the patio."

With the dishes done and their moment in the kitchen past, the two cheerleaders made their way to the backyard. Of course had Quinn remembered why she left in the first place she would have advised the two remain posted in the kitchen – but alas the moments in the kitchen as brief as they were had distracted her from the terror that awaited them.

"Quinn! Santana! Jump in and pl-" Before Finn could finish Matt had taken him down, the two thrashing under the water for the football held tightly by the quarterback.

A groan escaped the blonde's lips, "I'm not getting in that pool."

"Speak for yourself, this is the perfect opportunity to induce injuries without fear of consequence," Denim shorts and a red tank top fell to the ground before the Latina ran forth, her entrance a smooth dive, "Give me the ball Hudson!"

"Honestly," Blonde locks swayed to and fro, "I'm friends with a bunch of five year olds."

Across the yard there was a triumphant cry – Rachel had found Brittany's duck.

After a few rounds of water football the consensus was a movie - the Gleeks taking the party indoors.

Rachel sat at the edge of the pool, feet dangling over the edge and into the soothing cold liquid. She had declined Finn's offer to escort her in, promising to join soon when she noted the hint of sadness in the boy's posture. The past two days had been bothersome to say the least and Rachel still hadn't come to terms with the events that had transpired. Quinn had expressed to her a greater spectrum of emotions in the past fifty some odd hours than she had since second grade. Chocolate orbs drifted skyward a long sigh leaving her lips as she drank in the oranges and reds of the sky.

"Hey."

The voice held apprehension and rightly so as Rachel spun round only to find none other than Quinn. The brunette was shocked, her mouth opening and closing several times as if to prove this, "I… uhh…h-hey."

A giggle left the blonde – it was rare to see Rachel Berry so tongue tied, "Mind if I sit?" Quinn motioned to the open space beside Rachel.

Not trusting her words Rachel could only nod. For the first time since arriving at Kurt's the brunette noticed the ex-Cheerio's appearance. The girl wore a light pink summer dress, her hair pinned back as not to obscure her vision in any way. It was simple. It was beautiful.

The pair sat in silence – both lost in their own thoughts. Shockingly it wasn't the brunette who spoke first.

"I wanted to apologize," Her hands clutched to the fabric in her lap and she worried her bottom lip between perfect teeth, "About the other day." There was a pause, "I'm sorry."

It seemed a bit anti-climactic. "Sorry?" Before she knew what was happening the words were falling from her lips, "That's it?" Chocolate colours orbs narrowed, their gaze causing the other to squirm even more, "You call me in the dead of the night broken – your sobs snatching from me whatever sleep may have remained in my body. I drive to find you – to ease your pain in whatever way I possibly can – only to find whatever warmth I once had drain from me the moment I see you. Quinn you were beyond broken, the puffy red of your eyes, the shake in your form… God I was so scared – I held you and prayed to whatever deity may listen… And you're not even going to try and explain any of it to me are you? We're just going to walk away from this and pretend that nothing ever happened?"

"That's not what I'm saying Ra-"

The brunette didn't let her finish, "Then what Quinn? Enlighten me because everything you've done since that night screams exactly that," Whatever patience she had left slipped away, her voice dripping with hurt, anger, and confusion, "You can't even look me in the eyes Quinn!"

Hazel eyes rose to meet dark chocolate, tears spilling forth, "I'm sorry okay? Do you think I ever wanted this? I was just so confused… I didn't know who to go to…" Blonde locks shook back and forth, shouldering rising and falling as the sobs took over.

"Quinn…" Any malice remaining in her voice trickled away quickly replaced with concern, "Quinn," Rachel drew the blonde into an embrace, her chin resting atop the blonde's head and a soothing hand running the length of her back, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you I just… I'm lost and can you blame me?" A sigh escaped her, "We go from being enemies to not enemies but not really a neutral party to whatever the other night was then back to not quite neutral." Rachel sat back, her gaze drifting up to meet the blonde's, "I'm a little in the dark Quinn – I fear we both are – but I want to help however possible, so please don't push me away."

This time it was Quinn to draw Rachel into an embrace, clinging to the diva as though she were her only remaining lifeline, "I… I can't promise Rachel."

"Then don't – just say that when the going gets rough you'll try. Tell me that you won't run away – that tomorrow this won't all have meant nothing." Rachel could feel the tears slip past, trailing down her cheeks.

Quinn – her face buried in the crook of Rachel's neck – nodded furiously her own tears renewing, "It won't – tomorrow it won't disappear. I promise you that Rachel… I promise."