A/N: The song Quinn plays in this chapter Arabesque 1 by Debussy. I recommend listening to this while reading this chapter for the full effect.


Quinn rested her elbow upon the oak table in the McKinely High School library. Algebra was the last thing on her mind. With her ear buds shoved into her ears, Quinn switched the song on her iPod and turned up the volume.

The day before she had performed her funk number, and in her opinion it sort of went well. She had managed to keep it together, which was good. The entire time she had felt a pair of brown eyes staring at her. It took all she had not to look at Rachel because if she did she would have lost it.

The one time she had opened her eyes enough to see Rachel staring and swaying with that same sparkle in her eyes, her child was silent, neither kicking nor rolling.

Her eyes gazed down at her notebook. All that was written was her name and the date. She sighed and rubbed her temples trying to ease her stress. After five more minutes of work, Quinn decided she'd wait until she got back to Puck's to finish it. For now, she rested her head on the table and let the music overtake her, let it transport her to a world where she wasn't pregnant, where she wasn't a loser, to a world where she was accepted.

Her baby moved slightly in her stomach, the first sign of movement all day, and it pulled Quinn out of the music and into the library. Quinn looked up and gazed around.

It was ninth period so it was basically empty except for the librarian and a few scattered underclassmen. The door to the facility opened and in walked Rachel Berry who was clutching a book tightly to her chest. She wore a pink and purple-checkered skirt and a green cashmere sweater.

The brunette walked over to the front desk and returned her book. Just as Rachel made her way further into the library, Quinn quickly snapped her head down and tried to look as though she hadn't been openly staring.

Rachel approached Quinn apprehensively, biting her nails, eyes glued to the floor. A soft finger tapped at her shoulder. Quinn pulled her earphones out and looked up at Rachel.

"Hello, Quinn," she said softly.

"Hey."

"Uhm, can I sit here?"

Rachel still made no eye contact with the blonde, which only made the situation more awkward.

Quinn nodded and Rachel took the seat opposing the ex-cheerleader. A silence washed over the two, but it wasn't comfortable like it had been in the restroom two days earlier. Rachel looked like she wanted to say something but she was trying her hardest to keep quiet.

"Hey, Quinn?"

Quinn looked up again and saw the brunette gazing at her from across the table with uncertainty in her usually confident face.

"Hm?"

Rachel took a deep breath, always the drama queen.

"You- you were remarkable yesterday."

The compliment was said so quietly that Quinn had to strain to hear it, and that was saying something because they were sitting in an almost empty, silent library.

Quinn was speechless. Had she finally gained Rachel Berry's approval?

"What?"

The brunette seemed to have gained back some confidence.

"I said you were remarkable, Quinn."

"I know what you said, but why?" the blonde asked with disbelief.

"Because you were. I would never lie."

Quinn smiled softly before hardening her features, reminding herself that it was Rachel Berry she was talking to.

The brunette had seen the smile and returned it with a grin twice as big. Quinn looked back down at her paper as her eyes filled with tears.

Stupid hormones.

Rachel, the only person justified to hate her, was praising her, approving of her. Her heart began to beat rapidly. The tears were welling up and Quinn willed them to stop. She couldn't cry again in front of Rachel.

"Thank you," she breathed, a small tear falling from her hazel eye and hitting the notebook with a soft splash.

Rachel saw it and flinched with pain, reaching her hand across the table and placed it on the girl's arm.

"You're not alone, Quinn," she said quietly.

Quinn snapped her head up, not caring that her tears were now exposed. The dream rushed back into her mind, the open field, the piano, and the brown hair. Her throat was dry and her chest was in pain from holding in her sobs.

"I know we haven't exactly been…" Quinn raised her eyebrow, "friends…but I want you to have my phone number, you know, like, in case something happens, or you just want to talk, or you needed advice on which foods to eat or vitamins to take, or what exercise would be suitable for a girl in your-"

"Rachel!"

The brunette blushed deeply.

"Thank you," Quinn said as she took out her cellphone to get the number.

Quinn handed her phone over to Rachel who eagerly grabbed the piece of plastic and began to dial viciously. Quinn feared that Rachel might break the poor thing.

"Here," she said proudly and got up out of her chair.

Quinn's heart stopped.

"Wait-where are you going?" she blurted, her cheeks turning red.

Rachel whipped around, her brown locks following her head. She looked confused for a moment but then composed herself.

"I'm going to the choir room. As you know, we have a two hour Glee rehearsal today, and I would like to be there early so I can warm up before everyone else," she paused for a breath, "Why?"

Quinn couldn't admit that she wanted the girl to stay with her in the library. It would be too embarrassing..

"Nothing. Do- do you think I could join you?" she asked, her eyes glued to the now extremely interesting puke green and gray carpet.

"I- uhm well, if you want, I mean… sure," Rachel managed to get out, tripping over her own words.

Quinn smiled softly as she put her notebook in her bag. Then she walked over to Rachel, and the two walked towards the choir room. Quinn grew uncomfortable. Should she make small talk? No, that would be lame.

"How was your day?"

She did it anyway.

Rachel's step faltered slightly.

"F-fine. Fine. My day was fine."

Quinn giggled. The brunette was cute when she was nervous.

When they arrived at the choir room, Quinn opened the door for Rachel.

Rachel blushed before walking to the piano to empty her bag.

Sheet music, iPod, sheet music, water bottle, sheet music, and a gold starred pen tumbled out of the bag. Quinn smiled at the pen. It was so… Rachel.

Quinn walked over to her usual spot and slung her bag over the back of her chair, dropping her pen in the process.

Rachel stared at the blonde, how even though she was eight months pregnant she still could be graceful. Her face was hidden by blonde hair as she carefully bent down to pick up the writing utensil. Rachel sighed audibly. The blonde heard her, quirking an eyebrow in response.

"What?" she asked without her usual venom.

Rachel looked down.

"Nothing."

Quinn walked over to the piano while Rachel collected her music into a pile and went to her seat to put her school bag down. The blonde sat down at the lovely piano once again letting her fingers touch each key without pressing down.

"You play?"

Rachel brushed her hair behind her ear nervously and leaned against the back of the piano.

"A little," Quinn answered humbly.

She'd been playing since she was four years old.

"Well, play me something," Rachel demanded confidently.

Quinn began to chew on her lip.

The baby gave her a little kick, almost encouraging her to play. Quinn inhaled deeply, trying to clam herself down.

"Okay," she breathed before placing her hands gently on the first of many keys she was about to press.

Quinn took another deep breath. Her fingers were shaking.

The song began with steady eighth notes. Rachel noted the rise and fall of the girl's chest as her fingers danced across the white keys. She was flawless. Her shoulders uncoiled as her hard and rough exterior melted away.

Quinn carefully tended to each note, making each one perfect. The way her body moved with the melody left Rachel in awe. The blonde's eyes closed slowly, playing the song by memory, her face void of any sign of stress.

A strange calm fell over the girls. Quinn transferred all of her stress from her mind through her fingers into the keys of the piano. Emotion poured out of the girl as she continued playing.

It was remarkable to Rachel how Quinn caused this seemingly inanimate object to evoke such fierce emotions and feelings. Rachel saw Quinn lose herself, the walls falling down, as the keys moved up and down obediently.

Finally, Quinn played the last three notes, pausing in between each one for an imperceptible moment. Her foot remained on the pedal, letting the final note lingered in the air, ringing in the brunette's ears.

Quinn released the pedal. The room became deafeningly silent.

Quinn looked up at the brunette leaning into the piano. Tears were streaming down her face, yet she still looked breathtaking as the afternoon sunlight made her dark hair glisten.

There was that familiar sparkle in the two tear-filled chocolate eyes.

Rachel made no effort to wipe her tears, so Quinn brushed them away for her with her slender thumb. Rachel shivered at the touch, another tear escaping its chocolate chamber. Quinn caressed her face and tenderly rubbed her thumb across her cheek.

"Quinn," the brunette breathed her eyes closed tightly, reveling in the touch of the blonde.

"Yes?"

"That was beautiful."

Quinn smiled proudly, her eyes drinking in the girl before her. When her eyes reached Rachel's lips, plump and pink, she felt a strange urge to kiss them, taste them.

Quinn carefully pushed Rachel up against the piano, Rachel's visage in Quinn's soft hand, and it felt... right. Quinn's heart was hammering in her chest.

"Hey, guys…" a curious Mr. Schuester asked as he walked into the choir room.

The two girls immediately separated, Rachel wiping her tears viciously as her cheeks reddened. Quinn backed away as quickly as she could.

The entire club was standing at the door, looking at the two oddly.

"What?" Quinn hissed, horrified at what she would have done had her teacher not interrupted them.

The group wisely chose to ignore the obvious tension in the room and go to their seats.

Mr. Schuester quickly filled the silence by rambling about regionals or something, but neither girl was listening.