A/N – Just a quick note. Quinn's name back on her home planet was Quinnéowyn, pronounced like Quinn-eh-o-win, say it five times fast and that's what I hear in my head when I wrote it.

While I'm at it, thank you so much for reading and thank you for all the reviews, they seriously made me smile. On with the story.


Chapter 4

Nightmares and Good Company

Friday is dull. Whoever said Friday is the best day of the week was lying. I'm bored and it's the end of the day and not once have I had the chance to see Rachel, other than a passing smile and glance in the hallway. I haven't even had the chance to try out my super cool invisible nose plugs. I ended up just fiddling with them all day seeing if they worked against the rancid stench of the football player's armpits, and thankfully they did, they also worked against Sue Sylvester's diet shake and Friday's mystery meat. You can't even tell I'm wearing them other than me mouth breathing a little more than usual, and my voice already has a nasal twinge to it so you couldn't tell when I spoke. And if anyone could tell I could pass it off as a cold. They were perfect.

Except for the slight drawback of them being invisible and my tendency to misplace them. Other than that they were perfect and I now have a pocket dedicated to the nose plugs alone.

But alas, no Rachel. Not even time for a 'hello, how are you, Rachel?' or an 'I like your unicorn sweater today, Rachel' or a 'your legs you so damn good in that skirt I want to take you up against the locker, Rachel'. No nothing, nadda, zilch, zero, zip. Today sucked.

I slam the door of the Aston hard and drive home sulking and disappointed. If they were giving out awards today for best sulking and disappointed driving style I would win, I would also win the best sulking and disappointed entrance into a house award, and so on and so forth. Suffice to say I wasn't feeling too peppy.

I shrugged off my parent's questions with reassuringly nonchalant answers, busy day, tired etc etc and excused myself to bed. Only bed wasn't actually where I was going. I decided the only thing that would cheer me up now, other than seeing Rachel obviously, was beating up bad guys. Now that it was dark I donned my super suit and bounded off too find some entertainment.

By the way, finding out I had super powers on this planet was really cool. Thanks to the lower gravity of the Earth compared to Caelum, my adapted Caelen physique allows me vast strength and speed on this planet. I can move so fast that time seems to slow, my fast processing mind easily being able to keep up with my movements. I'm strong enough to pick up a car if I was so inclined. Then there is also my natural agility, the fighting skills I picked up being in the war, the naturally more enhanced senses that Caelens have compared to humans.

Now I'm not saying I'm Superman, I can't defy gravity entirely…yet. Bullets don't ricochet of by chest unfortunately and laser beams don't shoot out of my eyes, that's just silly. Think of me as a cross between Batman with all the gadgets (when I finish them) and Spiderman without the webs. Well at the moment, just webless Spiderman…but that's still pretty cool.

So I'm an alien ex-soldier on Earth with super abilities. Naturally, secret crime fighting was the logical choice. Did my parents really think I was going to sit at home watching TV like all the other teenagers?

Granted, my crime fighting is quite restricted to the drunks and petty thieves of Lima, but I'm hoping to branch out a bit once I've got my flight suit.

I'm hopping from roof top to roof top, scanning the streets for any suspicious activity. Its Friday night there must be something going on in this exceedingly dull town. Its times like this I miss New York, over there I would have to choose the most urgent case to deal with first. There was certainly no shortage of criminal activity, my nights were at least kept busy.

It is two hours later and not a hint of even a pick pocket, or illegal parking. I'm lying down on the edge of a building, my arms behind my head, staring up at the stars, thinking of home when I hear it. A faint cry. I sit up and track my eyes to the direction of the sound. The cry comes again from across the street. The street is deserted so I jump down from my perch and slink quickly across the road. I hear it again but it's coming from above me. I look up at the tree I'm standing under.

Oh you have got to be kidding me. A cat, stuck in a tree. This is what my crime fighting career has come down to, rescuing cats from trees.

"Of all the clichéd, pathetic superhero activities…alright you stupid cat, I'll get you down." I scale the branches effortlessly and approach the cat slowly. "Come on, kitty, I won't hurt you. Come on," I sing song softly, "just a little closer, that's it…aaand gotcha,"

A smash of glass echoes down the street, followed the wailing of a car alarm. Car theft. That's more like it. I hop down and set the cat free just as I hear a tires squeal. I sprint at full speed, streets and buildings blurring around me as I gain on the stolen car. I leap back onto the roof tops and get ahead of the vehicle. The large Escalade is being driven erratically by the panicking thief. I devise a plan based off some quick calculations of speed and distance, I have to time this right. I jump into an alley, that the thief will have to drive past, and onto a small pipe that stretches between the two buildings either side of the allay. I swing around it again and again, building up momentum like a trained trapezes artist, and count the swings and count the milliseconds. Just as the car approaches I make my final swing and propel myself off the pipe. I cut through the air like an arrow, straight through the broken car window, barging the driver aside and quickly grabbing the wheel. My movements are too quick for the shocked and disorientated thief, as I chuck him into the passenger seat.

I bring the vehicle to a stop. The thief, who looks no more than eighteen in baggy clothes, finally registers what's happened.

"What the fuck are you doing, man? This is my fucking ride!" He pulls a gun from his pocket. I snap his wrist back, grab the gun, dismantle it and chuck it out the car window before he can register the pain in his wrist.

"What the fuck are you?" he screams, genuinely terrified, staring at my expressionless mask while cradling his injured wrist.

"Your worst nightmare," I hiss and smash his forehead into the dashboard, knocking him out cold.

I tie him up in the car with some cord I find in the boot and make an anonymous phone call to the police before heading home for the night.

I don't feel as cheery as I thought I would. Friday sucked.


I'm tossing and turning in bed. Memories of my past life are scrolling beneath my eyelids. These are my nightmares, my memories being more horrifying then anything my mind can come up with.

I'm five Earth years old. My long golden hair splays behind me as I run through fields with others my age.

"Okay we're here," Toric, one of the oldest boys in our group, yells in Caelish. We are far away from home, further then we were ever supposed to go. Right on the borders of the forbidden land.

Everyone stops and gathers their breath. We huddle round and me and two of the other younger ones, Caylawin and Gorzen, glance nervously at the older members.

"If you three want to be apart of our club you have to pass the initiation," Toric continues, "You have to prove that you are brave and fearless if you want to go on adventures with us." I want nothing more than to be a member and explore the mountains and forests with them without our parents with us. Yes it was dangerous and yes we could get in lots of trouble but that was part of the appeal, plus we were very smart young children.

"Are you ready for this?" Tamia asks. We three nod excitedly.

"To prove your bravery you all have to stand on the edge…" Toric pauses for dramatic effect, "of Shadow Land." We all gasp in fear.

"H-how long for?" I ask shakily.

"We can't tell you that, only that one of us will eventually come get you. If you run before that time, you will not be a member. Do you all understand?" We all nod again, a lot less certain this time.

Shadow Land was the entire other half of our planet. Our planet was divided in two, the light side and the dark side. The planet revolves on its axis so slowly that it takes exactly the same time to rotate once as it does to orbit our sun once. So much like the Earth's Moon, which only shows one face to the Earth, our planet only shows one face to our sun. The other side never sees light; there is no night and day, only eternal darkness on one side and eternal light on the other side. Caelens evolved on the bright side of the planet naturally, but there are stories of another race, the Raegas, that live in the Shadow Land. They are said to be barbarians, cannibals, extremely aggressive and very territorial. They don't possess the intelligence that Caelens do, they have no schools or government, only vaguely follow pack law. They don't ever come into the light, rumour as it they can't, but stories come from the few brave Caelens that have ventured into the dark, and the fewer that have escaped with their lives.

We have come so far to the edge of our land that the sun has almost disappeared below the horizon behind us, the last rays bathing the hill side in front of us with a warm glow. On the other side of the hill is the forbidden land.

Toric walks us up the hillside, as we reach the peak we all gaze down at the darkness before us. It's a volcanic wasteland, a network of collapsed magma chambers carve the land. Jagged rocks create eerie shapes against the darkness. Nothing grows, the land is barren, although the landscape terrifies me, I've never seen anything like it, I try to steady my fears on the belief that nothing could ever live here and survive.

"You see that ledge down there?" Toric points to a small ledge two thirds down the hillside in the darkness. "Stand there and wait till we come get you. Remember, you need to be quiet."

"I thought you said on the edge, why can't we stay here?" Gorzen asks desperately, I can see him shaking already.

"Its part of the test, we all did it, just stay still and quiet. Be brave," with that he leaves. Caylawin and I glance at each other and start to descend.

"You can't be seriously thinking about going through with this?" Gorzen whispers harshly at us from the top of the slope. "We can't go in there, we will be killed and eaten, or…or worse. We should all just refuse right now." I turn back to him.

"If we refuse we won't become members. Besides it can't be that bad if all of them have done it," I shrug and catch up with Caylawin. As we step onto the ledge she reaches for my hand in the darkness. She squeezes tightly, her hand is clammy and trembles weakly. I squeeze back and stare out into the darkness before us. The stillness is eerie, there are no birds or even the smallest insect to be seen. The only sound I can hear is the hammering of my heart and Caylawin's quick, shallow breaths. Suddenly rocks tumble behind us and we both gasp in shock as Gorzen slides down to our perch. We both scold him with a glare and Caylawin holds a finger to her lips. He looks apologetic but frightened as he takes his place beside us.

Time seeps on as we stare out, and I have no idea how long we've been here. Rocks tumble and echo occasionally in the blackness. Tricks of shadow have my mind imagining figures in the darkness. I hear Gorzen quietly sobbing next to me. I take his hand as he wheezes and shakes. A rock falls close by and we snap our heads in the direction, movement whips past one of the opens chasms. Something large and pale in the darkness.

"Did you see that, Quinnéowyn?" Gorzen squeaks, I whip my hand to his mouth to silence him as I examine the area for more movement. My ears attuned but my eyes struggling to make out anything.

Again a sudden flash of movement, closer this time. The distinct smell of urine assaults my nose and I turn to Gorzen, I look down to see a wet patch flowing down his leg. He's petrified. Shaking his head frantically, he looks ready to bolt. I look him dead in the eye, Don't. Move. I mouth to him. Whatever's out there may ignore us if we stay still and quiet. Scatterings of rock falls echo more distinctly then before.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Gorzen whispers desperately before he scrambles back up the slope. There are more shapes moving now, darting between rocks, climbing up walls. Threatening cries reverberate, some deep like baboons, others whine like foxes. Caylawin turns to me with tears in her eyes.

"I can't do this," and then she's frantically scurrying upwards.

I'm on my own now. Just a small figure of a child standing amidst the moving darkness. The beastly cries growing louder, grouping and harmonizing until the calls are the same echoing primal howls. I stand my ground summoning all my courage, I won't run, I won't run, I won't run, I chant in my mind like a mantra.

The cries grow in a crescendo, then stop all at once. The figures still and blend, as if part of the landscape, except for one. The closest to me. Its outline resembles that of an adult Caelen, but it moves like an animal stalking its pray. I can't see its eyes but I know its watching me, they all are. It coils low momentarily and emits a wailing cry, before bursts into a full sprint on hands and feet towards me.

I run. I claw and scramble and climb as fast as my small legs will carry me. I can hear it behind me, growling and panting. It's clearing better distance then me, but I'm still ahead, just. As I reach the summit I throw myself over the edge into the glowing sunlight, rolling down the slope brutally.

A blood curdling scream sounds, followed by the heavy sound of a body hitting the ground behind me. More screams are heard around me, but these I recognise as the screams of the other children. I manage to stop my fall and look back for sign of the creature pursuing me. There, rolling down the hillside, whipping and thrashing its limbs, wailing in what sounds like agony, is the beast from the darkness. And my very first look at a Raega. As it rolls to a stop a few feet from me, it moans and wails as it frantically tries to shield its body from the light. I can hear a disturbing sizzling sound as I see its ghostly white skin blister, burn and blacken. The form is quite distinctly female, naked other than long dark, matted head of hair, and barbaric, cruel and painful looking piercings of carved bone distorting its figure. All I can do is stare at it horrified.

It thrashes out and tries to claw at me, but I'm out of reach. Its mouth snaps at me with pointed and jagged yellow teeth. I meet its eyes; they are large, fully black orbs that pierce me with hatred and pain. Its thrashes weaken and its cries quieten to low moans, before they eventually stop altogether. It's limp, still and no longer breathing.

The quick footsteps of the other children rush towards me. They gasp and gape at the creature at my feet.

"What is that?"

"It's a Raega."

"Is it dead?"

"Yeah."

"Quinnéowyn killed a Raega!"

"It wasn't me," I mumble still not being able to tear my eyes away from its black lifeless ones, "it was the sun."

Suddenly the form jerks…and I bolt awake in bed, drenched in sweat.


It's Saturday afternoon and I'm in my lab in the basement. I've been here since the early hours of the morning when I awoke from my nightmare. I'm finally building a prototype of my suit and it's a wonderful distraction from my disturbing memories. I'm intricately melding the artificial neuro pathways into the lining of the suit and connecting them to the micro molecular manipulators on the outside of the suit…it's the sciency stuff that makes the suit work.

Beside me on my desk is today's newspaper. The front page story is me…or rather, a mysterious masked vigilante. There is a fairly accurate coloured sketch of my mask, although I feel the expression conveyed through the mask is one of exaggerated meanness. I considered my masked expression to be rather neutral, and I think they made my nose a little big… Anyway the story is from several eye witness accounts over the past few months, i.e. from the criminals I've beaten up and left for the police to deal with. The statements are so varied and contradictory that the author of the article has quite rightly put a sceptical spin on it. But the gist of it is that a masked assailant of unknown gender has been taking the law into their own hands and has been using violent methods to incapacitate criminals. So far the Lima police haven't made an official statement but they did hint that if such a person existed, they didn't condone the behaviour.

I really don't mind the press coverage, I knew it was bound to happen eventually especially in a town this small, I was actually quite surprised that I got away with it in New York for a whole year before moving here. I guess in New York vague stories like this would be lost in the fray with all the other activity that takes place in a city that never sleeps. Apparently I'm the biggest story to hit Lima, Ohio since the controversial installation of speed ramps in the main town centre. I get the feeling Lima has a lot of slow news days.

I'm not too worried about my super abilities being exposed because I don't think anyone would believe the criminals that are trying to save face by describing me as a 6ft 5" muscular hulk of a man with super powers. I love plausible deniability.

My phone beeps beside me and I thank my steady hands for not doing disastrous damage to the suit when I'm startled by the noise. I carefully place my tools down and reach for my phone.

R: So does this friend service you provide extend to the weekends? – Rachel x

I think the grin currently residing on my face would be described as stupidly giddy.

Q: No I'm sorry this service is only available between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Please try again during the allotted times ;) x

R: In which case I would like to complain about my limited service :P x

Q: I wouldn't bother the paperwork is endless ;) x

R: I've got time x

Q: Lol, what can I do for you, Rach? x

R: I seem to be suffering from boredom x

Q: Oh no, I heard that was going around…you're not contagious are you? X

R: Your concern is touching :P but I certainly hope not, I was relying on you to help me find a cure x

Q: Hmm…let me have a look…Bubonic Plague tablets, Ebola vaccine, eye drops, hemorrhoid cream…nope no boredom cure :/ x

R: Lol, oh no I seem to have come to the wrong person, you're not helpful at all :P x

Q: Wait...I may know of a remedy…some may consider it an old wives tale, but I heard that good company and an activity of some kind can help alleviate symptoms x

R: That certainly sounds like an old wives tale, but at this point I'm willing to try anything. I don't suppose you know where I would acquire those things? X

Q: Well I'm reading in this friendship contract that I am expected to provide good company, so I guess that's the first bit sorted. Now we have to think of an activity x

R: Good company sounds awfully important, are you sure you're up for the challenge? X

Q: I'm offended by that implication, my good company will blow your mind ;) x

Perhaps that may have been a little too flirty.

R: Lol, fine you're hired. I expect you round mine in an hour and we will find an activity we can both participate in ;) x

My mind is officially in the gutter. I have no idea how to respond to that without hinting at the very naked activities that I'm thinking of. Friends, Quinn, friends!

Crap. I'm in trouble already.

Operation: backtracking.

Q: I will be there…to the friendmobile! X

Q: Sorry that was lame x

R: Lol. Yes it was, extremely lame x

Success! Sexual tension dispelled with lameness. Well done, Quinn. You look like an idiot.

Oh.

Bring it back, bring it back! Oh forget it there is no way to make a full recovery from that one.

Q: I have to erase your memory of the last minute and a half. You need to forget that I was momentarily catastrophically uncool x

R: Lol. No don't, I like your more than momentary uncoolness, it means we have more in common. Can't wait for later ;) xxx

And we are back, sort of, I think I significantly bruised my reputation.


Rachel's POV

I can't believe I just invited Quinn round. I don't know if I'm more panicked or excited…panicked, definitely panicked. I should never again be trusted to be left alone with my phone while thinking about Quinn Fabray…which is all the time. Damn her for giving me her number, how could I possibly resist the temptation. If I thought I was thinking about her a lot before, it was nothing compared to how much I'm thinking about her now. Especially after Thursday afternoon, when I swear on Barbra's life she almost kissed me. This isn't just me being overdramatic or reading too much into it, there is no other explanation. She was so close to me, and staring at my lips with a look that can only be described as hungry. And I was so ready for it, my eyes were practically closed in anticipation. I was about to kiss Quinn Fabray, the girl of my dreams; who is not only gorgeous and smart as I previously known her as but also, funny, playful, witty, charming and sweet. I had fallen harder for her and I was so damn close.

But then she pulled away, and didn't just pull away, she physically threw herself away from me. I don't know why. She at least didn't look repulsed or anything like that, just startled and guilty like she suddenly realised she was about to do something she shouldn't. Still, I felt like a kid who had been given a toy on Christmas day and then was told they couldn't play with it.

I was desperately disappointed. And I was further disappointed when I barely saw her yesterday. All I got was a smile as we rushed past each other in the hallway. Granted it was a beaming smile that left me flushed and giddy with a fluttering stomach, but I was hoping for at least a full conversation and a chance to flirt with her a bit so I could gage how much she flirted back and figure out whether or not I was losing my mind.

I apparently couldn't wait the whole weekend for another chance to see her, hence why I'm currently panicked and running around the house like a squirrel on Speed.

"Barbra Streisand isn't coming to our house is she?" My Daddy, Hiram who is a short balding man with glasses, joked from his position on the sofa behind a newspaper.

"Don't joke about that Daddy. I. Would. Die. I would be so wholly unprepared for her visit that I wouldn't even get the chance to list my favourite performances of hers and give her my notes on a Funny Girl revival before I hyperventilated into an early tragic grave. I wouldn't live to become her greatest protégé. So don't joke about that Daddy." I say sternly.

"My apologies, sweetheart. It's just that you're incessant tidying is bordering on manic…and will you leave that picture alone? You've re-straightened it six times already," he says exasperatedly.

"Hrmph, well the frame is wonky it doesn't look right,"

"What does it matter? Is this girl royalty or something?"

"Well judging from the expensive looking Aston Martin that just pulled up in the driveway I would think she could be," my Dad, Leroy, a tall dark skinned man with a kind face, muses from near the window.

"Oh my God! She's here, she's here," I'm having a melt down, "everyone just stay calm. Daddy stand up, no, sit down! Dad, hold this," I shove a random vase into his arms.

"Do I have to?"

"I don't know, whatever. Just do something."

"How about I get the door?"

"Yes! No! I'll do it, you two just act normal."

"We'll try, honey," I can tell Daddy is mocking me. They are both obviously trying to belly their laughter. I ignore them and straighten my blue poker-dot dress. I count backwards slowly from five and open the door.

Quinn is a vision with an easy smile and casual designer jeans and a form fitting shirt. I gawp momentarily at her, which is silly because I've seen her more dressed up than this but it was something about Quinn standing on my doorstep smiling at me as if there was nowhere else she would rather be, that has me speechless.

"Hey, Rachel," she says happily. I snap myself out of my Quinn-daze and smile back.

"Hey, Quinn. You're just in time, I seem to have taken a turn for the worst. I have resorted to house cleaning," I say with mock horror.

"My God this is serious. I'm glad you contacted me, this is the worst case of boredom I've heard of and won't resolve by itself," she plays along easily. "Although at least you have been productive, I'm sure your fathers appreciate the clean house," she peers round me in acknowledgment of my hovering fathers.

"Well we were at first," my Dad replies in good humour, "but she's been stuck on a loop for the past hour cleaning the same things over and over again. Please make her stop," he says in an exaggerated mock plea. Quinn laughs, I glare playfully at my fathers.

"Oh Rachel, what have you done to your poor fathers?" I hear them snicker behind me.

"Nothing they don't deserve, I'm sure," I say pointedly at them. Suddenly I remember my manners. "Sorry, please come in, Quinn," she nods in thanks and I usher her into the house. She approaches my fathers with her hand out in greeting.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr and Mr Berry, I'm Quinn," she says as she shakes each of their hands.

"Pleasures all ours, Quinn," my Daddy replies with an impressed smile, "and please call us Leroy and Hiram," he gestures to my Dad then himself, "'Mr Berry' may get confusing," he says good naturedly.

Quinn smiles, "Agreed. I was worried for a minute that I might have to preface your names with some kind of identifier,"

"What like tall Mr Berry and short Mr Berry?" My Daddy muses.

"Well I considered it for a moment but I wouldn't want you thinking I'm Heightist, particularly Rachel," my fathers laugh, I glare playfully at Quinn. I'm doing a lot of glaring recently. "I was thinking more like one and two."

"Ah but who would be one and who would be two?" Dad questions.

"I would have to let you discuss that amongst yourselves," she says diplomatically.

"Oo I don't know, that could get messy," he jokes.

"Well then I should thank you for saving me from being an instigator of domestic violence, Leroy and Hiram," she smiles charmingly. They laugh, my Dad wraps her in a one-armed hug.

"I like this one, Rachel. You can keep her," Quinn giggles.

"Oh thank you, Pa," I seemed to have adopted a Southern-Bell accent, but I will roll with it, "I promise to take her out for walks, and feed her everyday-"

"More than once a day I hope," Quinn interjects thoroughly amused.

"Hush now child, know your place," I scorn playfully.

"Yes, ma'am," There's something about the way her voice drops a little and the slight smirk on her lips, that makes a pleasant shiver run through me. My eyes meet her dark hazel ones and the air between us seems to crackle with sexual tension. I can't be mistaken, after all it's the look in her eyes that is making my blood pool decidedly lower. My Daddy clears his throat and we both snap our gazes to him.

"Speaking about food; would you like to stay for dinner, Quinn?"

"As long as Rachel is happy with it," she throws a questioning glance in my direction. I nod a little too eagerly, "then I would love to, thank you, Hiram."

"Lovely, it's always nice to have good company round for dinner," Quinn smirks at me triumphantly, referring to our earlier texts, I whack her arm lightly and roll my eyes. I catch my Dad staring at us with a hint of a knowing smile. "We'll call you for dinner, girls," he's physically dragging my Dad out of the room behind him. When they're out of sight but not earshot, I can hear my Dad gossiping.

"Did you see all that?" he asks excitedly. My Daddy responds but it's muffled as they walk away.

I turn back to Quinn awkwardly; she's still staring in the direction my fathers went and looks a million miles away. "I'm sorry about them," I'm a little embarrassed and I'm right back to being nervous again. She brings her attention back to me with a quizzical smile.

"Why? Your Dads are great, I just hope they still like me once they get to know me," she trails off again looking thoughtful.

"Well considering your natural charm I think they will only love you more,"

"Natural charm?" That perfectly sculptured eyebrow is arched in a curious teasing manner. I love and hate that eyebrow. It's a perfectly poised expression and it's both sexy and fluster inducing.

"Are you fishing for compliments, Quinn?" I refused to be flustered by a facial feature.

"From you? Yes," But that doesn't stop me being flustered by her words, her intense eyes and breathy voice. I think she enjoys this, reading my reactions to her. The way she studies me makes me feel naked and vulnerable, but the masochist in me loves the idea of being naked and vulnerable for her. God, what is wrong with me?

"Well I just gave you one,"

"I only get one?"

"True compliments are spur of the moment after sudden inspiration; you will have to wait till the next time that happens." Her studying gaze grows more curious, her eyes sparkle playfully.

"What about compliments that are given after receiving one? For example if I was to say 'you look beautiful in that dress', would you then be inclined to return a compliment?" I try to hide my blush because I know she meant it,

"I may be inclined but then the nature of the compliment returned must be similar to the nature of the compliment given. In your example you commented on my appearance, so I would return a pleasant comment on your appearance rather than say a more meaningful compliment on your character. Which would you prefer?" The smile she gives me is megawatt, no scratch that, it's gigawatt. I may have to invest in some sunglasses before I suffer permanent damage to my retinas from the brightness.

"I love the way your mind works. You are by far the most interesting person I've ever met," I smile at her answer in the form of a spur of the moment compliment.

"Well then I'm inclined to say that you are the most enigmatic and intriguing person I've ever met,"

"Would the mystery be ruined if we got to know one another?"

"I've got the feeling that I'm never going to be done getting to know you, but I wouldn't mind getting a start on it now," I grow bolder and step more into her personal space and slowly bring my hand to hers and interlace our fingers. I look down at the connection as the familiar comfortable warmth and tingles spread from my hand over my entire body. The touch feels more right than anything I've ever felt before. The way our hands meld so perfectly and naturally…I feel kind of silly thinking something so clichéd, but it's like we are meant to do this. She looks down at our conjoined hands too, her thumb starts stroking over mine gently. Such a simple gesture, yet it feels intensely intimate when I'm so hyper aware of her.

I sense her gaze shift again. My eyes snap to hers when I feel the free hand stroke some stray strands of hair away from my face and behind my ear. She does this reverently. Her eyes follow the path of her hand until they land back on mine.

"I'm glad, because I really want to know you." The way she says this makes me think she's not just referring to hobbies, likes and dislikes, but knowing me inside and out, mind, body and soul. My treacherous mind drifts to how badly I want her to know my body. I want her to play it like a finely tuned instrument. I want her to…I just want her. She may be restraining herself for whatever reason but I know she wants me too, so I am determined to find a way to seduce Quinn Fabray.

"Well you can start by learning what activities will keep me entertained. That is what you're here for, yes?" I smile coyly at her before turning and dragging her by our still conjoined hands up the stairs to my bedroom.


Quinn POV

Oh crap. I had not anticipated this. I hope we are not going where I think we're going.

"Wait, are we going to your bedroom?"

"Yes,"

"As in, the room with your bed in it?"

"Yes that is usually where I keep it, hence the name,"

"What about the living room?"

"My Dads will want to use it,"

"Or outside? Lots of stuff we can do outside, in the nice fresh air,"

"It's started raining," So it has. Well crap.

"I'm merely suggesting that maybe the reason you were bored in the first place was because you were stuck in your room with nothing to do. So if we change that variable we might be closer to curing your boredom,"

"Yes but before I was on my own in my bedroom. Now that I have you with me, I'm sure we can think of things to do in my bedroom," I can think of lots of things. None of which we should be doing. I subtly readjust my nose plugs that have been serving me well. I can't smell her scent but I still have an issue with how much I like her, how good she looks in that cute poker dot dress, and how flirtatious our conversations have become. Aphrodisiac scent aside, I'm still hopelessly attracted to her. Being in a room with a bed in it is going to test my self control to the limits.

She opens her bedroom door, the one with a cute gold star with her name on it, and pulls me into the room before shutting the door behind me. I swallow hard. I try to distract myself from her close proximity and our still melded hands, that for some reason I can't bring myself to let go of, and look around the room. I immediately recognise the yellow and pink walls, the Broadway posters on the walls. I glance out of the window to confirm my suspicions. Sure enough the tree outside is the same tree I was perched on when I made an impromptu detour on a night of crime fighting. I still feel like a weird voyeur for finding myself there, but I guess it shows that even since the migraine induced meeting in the corridor on Tuesday, I've been drawn to her. At least now I have permission for looking at her room.

"I like your room," I really do. I may have only known her a few days but this room just screams Rachel Berry, and I instantly like it because I like her. It feels oddly comforting being surrounded by Rachel's things and I can already feel myself relax from some tension I didn't know I was holding. I take in everything from her elliptical in the corner, her stuffed animals, her boxes of organised sheet music, her trophies from singing, acting and dance competitions, happy photos of her and her Dads, her music and DVDs until I come to rest on her collection of playbills.

"You've seen all these musicals?" I'm in disbelief. She grins proudly at me.

"Yes and I know the songs from all of them by heart,"

"You are amazing," I say absently.

"Thank you," she sounds shy, "that makes you and my Dads the only ones who think so,"

"What about the Glee club?"

"I think they just tolerate me,"

"Are they blind and deaf?"

"No they acknowledge my talent, but I can be…difficult to work with. I like I said before I'm ambitious and I like to win, and I know that I'm the most talented and dedicated member of the Glee club so I believe our best chance at winning competitions is for me to be singing the solos…all of them. I know it doesn't make me a very good team player but I have difficulty relinquishing things that I feel I deserve to others that may be less deserving. You probably think I'm a horrible person."

"No I don't," I speak so quickly I think I startled her slightly, "I think if the others want solos they need to step up to the plate and take them from you with talent. You're happy with fair game right?" She nods eagerly.

"Absolutely I would be more than happy to engage in healthy competition, and if someone else is better then they should be the one to give us the edge in the show choir competitions."

"Then they should be happy with that. Oh, maybe you could help them by giving them some tips to improve and support them to at least give them a sporting chance,"

"I've tried they don't want to hear it from me. Like I said I talk a lot and I think they do their best to ignore me most of the time," She looks so sad in that moment, it looks like a wound that runs deep. I want to hold her and make all the pain go away, so I do. I release her hand, which I was still holding, and wrap both my arms around her and pull her into me. She's shocked at first but quickly relaxes into me, snaking her one arm around my waist and the other around my neck as she buries her head into the crook of my neck. This feels perfect. I feel her inhale deeply with her nose nuzzled against my neck, and I wish I could do the same. I think fleetingly about taking off these nose plugs but I figure it's really too risky.

"Then it's their loss," I say softly against her, "You're the star, Rachel, and you can shine as brightly as you want." Okay that may have been cheesy but it was worth it to feel her smile and giggle softly against me.

"That was cheesy,"

"It was, but you liked it,"

"I did," she admits while pulling away slightly to meet my eyes. Her other arm moves to join the one around my neck, and I realise I'm in trouble again. She's biting her lower lip as she looks at mine and I can't help staring at the action and wishing I could bite and suck on that lip myself. You need to try harder than this, Quinn.

Just a little kiss. Friends do that right?

No they don't, and friends don't think about throwing other friends onto beds and kissing every available inch of skin either.

But her shoulders look so kissable, so much soft tanned skin. I bet she tastes good.

Quinn!

Urgh! Fine!

With a great deal of will power I pull away from her and take a step back. She has that disappointed look again but this time it's mixed with a frustrated eye roll.

"How about a movie?" I throw out suddenly, "I feel my knowledge of musicals is lacking, you should educate me."

"Okay," she seems to brighten at this idea, "what shall we start with?"

"You tell me,"

"Well my favourite is Funny Girl, but everyone has seen that,"

"I haven't," I shrug and she whips her focus onto me like I just said a swear word in church.

"You haven't!" She looks positively shocked.

"I've seen Chicago and Wicked, that's about it. Considering I used to live in New York you would think I would have seen more."

"You used to live in New York?" She is staring at me like she doesn't know what information to process first.

"It's where we were before we came to Lima, we had an apartment in Manhattan not far from central park," Her jaw drops, it looks kind of comical.

"You…you've…I….just…I've…That's it we're watching Funny Girl, and you are going to tell me everything about New York," she orders as she marches over to her DVD collection and puts on Funny Girl. I start to make my way to the desk chair in the corner.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I was just-"

"Sit!" She points at the bed. I sigh but do as I'm told and rest against the headboard at the edge of the bed. She plonks herself on the other side with the remote, then pulls me into the middle of the bed. She rearranges the pillows until she is comfortably snuggled against my side and clicks play. This is going to be a long movie.

Every so often during the movie she would press pause and question me about New York, things to do, places to go, hidden gems. And I would tell her about all my favourite spots and regale her with funny anecdotes on day to day life. When she wasn't listening to me with rapt attention her focus was solely on the screen, mouthing her favourite lines or singing out songs with Barbra. I would just lean against the headboard and watch her. I felt so utterly content, and for a while I wasn't worrying about mating bonds and having to control certain urges…as much, I was sitting there enjoying the feeling of falling for this girl. Beside me was this beautiful, talented, endearing diva passionately belting out show tunes and I was falling head over heels and wasn't even bothering to try and catch myself.

As the credits roll after the emotional end performance, she is snuggled back into my side, absently playing with the hem of my shirt. I stare at the ceiling and try and ignore the way her hand grazes my abdomen and sends little shocks of arousal straight to my core. I swallow thickly and try to keep my breathing regulated.

"Do you miss it? New York?" Her voice is soft.

"Sometimes,"

"Do you want to go back?" I can't quite figure out her tone, she sounds almost half hopeful and half afraid of the answer.

"Maybe eventually, but at the moment I'm happy in Lima because there is this nice girl here that I like,"

"It's not Santana is it?" Her question is so surprising and her voice is so bitter that I burst out laughing.

"What?" I manage between giggles, "Where did that come from?" She doesn't look as amused as I do, as she props herself up on her elbow.

"It's just in the hallway the other day, you too seemed kind of…close," I giggle again, but decide to tease her a bit because I quite like the idea of jealous Rachel.

"So not only were you avoiding me, you were spying on me also?"

"I wasn't…that's not…never mind," she flops onto her back with a huff.

"Okay," I shrug easily, knowing that she won't be able to drop the topic for long.

"So are you going to answer my question?" I knew it.

"What question?" I ask innocently.

"About you and Santana,"

"What about me and Santana?" She whacks me with a discarded pillow.

"You know what,"

"No I don't know what," I punctuate it with a whack from my own pillow. She wallops me harder obviously frustrated.

"What were you two talking about?"

"It's none of your business," I hit back.

She gets up onto her knees to get more force behind her next blow, "Yes it is!"

I mirror her position, "No it isn't!" I punctuate with a forceful whip of my pillow. This is by no means, the best argument I've come up with, I'm not even focusing on what we're saying. The conversation isn't in our words, we're talking through pillows…pillow talk, if you will. Right now my pillow is saying 'play with me', her pillow is saying something like 'surrender to me', or occasionally just 'argh!'

"Tell me!" She growls as she clobbers me over the head.

"No!" I slug back with the same force. Her eyes harden, and I know what's coming. It's what I was playing for; an all out pillow fight. She growls and it becomes a free-for-all. We pelt each other with thumps and thwacks and slams and swats. She dodges, I dart, she ducks, I weave, she grapples, I struggle, I tackle, she squirms. Sure I could easily get the upper hand but what would be the fun in that?

She tackles me round the waist and tries to throw me off balance onto the bed. I keel over after an acceptable amount of resistance, and she proceeds to nudge me off the bed while I try to wriggle free. Eventually I let her succeed and I land on the floor with a thud.

"Success!" she throws her arms up triumphantly pillows and all…when did she get two? She's bouncing on the bed ecstatically, "I am the pillow Queen, bow to me Quinn!" It's now that I fully take in her appearance, she is breathless and flushed. Her hair is modelling the 'just fucked' look, but it's the playful sparkle in her eyes that is my undoing. I was so distracted I had no chance of dodging her next blow which landed square in my face, knocking off my nose plugs. I felt them go but had no idea where they landed because obviously they were invisible. Shit! I will never find them.

"That's it!" I growl, my voice low, my eyes hardening dangerously as I look at her. She looks momentarily apprehensive before she squeaks in surprise as I grab her ankles and whip them out from under her; she lands on her back on the mattress with a bounce. I pounce, pinning her down with my body and restraining her arms above her head. Her chest heaves into mine. Once she overcomes the shock her eyes search mine and I watch them darken dramatically. She bites that plump bottom lip again and I lick my lips in anticipation of pulling that lip between mine. Our noses are brushing against each other; I close my eyes as I lean my forehead against hers and wish for some control to find me.

"Quinn," it's barely a whimper, but I'm not really listening because I can smell her again. That sweet warm smell that makes my core throb and ache for her. A quiet breathy moan escapes me, and without my permission my hips start to grind into hers almost imperceptibly.

"Oh Quinn," she whimpers more urgently. I can feel her stomach muscles clench and unclench beneath mine. Heat between her legs radiates up to me as she arches, pressing her body more firmly against mine. Another wave of that sweet heated scent washes over me and somehow it smells decidedly wet. My hips jerk reflexively causing a moment of delicious friction, my breath catches and she releases an audible moan, I try desperately to still my hips, but they seem to have a will of their own and I can't get them to stop subtly rolling into hers. It doesn't help that her body is trembling delightfully beneath mine. I want her so badly.

Our breaths are coming in small pants. I'm clinging on the edge of sanity, I can't for the life of me pull away and my body is screaming at me to give in by crushing our lips together while thrusting my hips into hers until we both come apart. "Quinn, please," she nudges her chin up in search of my lips. I know as soon as our lips meet my last thread of control will slip from my grasp. There are no bickering voices inside my head this time. Only the intense primal urge to take her and make her mine against the half forgotten memory of a promise made, what feels like, a life time ago. The barest hint of our lips brush against each others-

There's a loud knock on the door. "Dinner's ready, girls!"

It's better than a bucket of ice water.

With the rush of adrenaline from the shock, I rip myself away from her. She whimpers at the loss but is quick to follow as I start pacing the room. "I'm so sorry, Rachel,"

"Please don't say you're sorry. I don't want you to be sorry," her voice is quiet but there is an edge to it.

"I shouldn't have done that, I – Ow!" I stepped on something. I look down but don't see anything. My invisible nose plugs! Thank God. I brush my hand against the carpet until I feel them in my hand and scoop them up, tucking them quickly in my pocket, wary of Rachel's eyes on me.

I turn back to her. She looks small and achingly beautiful. Her dark eyes study me but there is a glint to them that plead with me to pick up where we left off. I swallow hard. "We should go down for dinner," I force out jerkily. I turn to smooth down my messed up hair in the mirror.

"Quinn," she stands behind me trying to catch my eyes in the mirror. When I refuse to meet them she tugs at my arm until I face her. "Can we please talk about this? This isn't a bad thing, I just want to talk about it," her eyes plead desperately. I can't say no to those big brown doe eyes. I sigh and run a hand through my hair while trying to figure out how honest to be.

"Rachel, I like you. I think it's safe to say I more than like you. But we can't go down this route yet," she opens her mouth to say something but I halt her with a finger on her lips. "Before you say anything I want you to know it isn't because of who you are or the fact that you're a girl. I don't care about the school's popularity system and the fact that you are a girl is a non issue, I'm not scared of coming out or anything like that."

"Then why-"

"I'm not finished. There are a lot of things you don't know about me Rachel, and I want you to know everything before you decide if we should take things further."

"Why can't you tell me now?" I shake my head regretfully.

"It's too early for that. I want to earn your trust Rachel, that is very important to me, but I also need to know if I can trust you." She looks a little hurt and very confused.

"You can trust me,"

"Girls! Dinner!" The loud voice of Hiram interrupts us.

"Just a minute Daddy!" she yells towards the door, frustrated, before turning back to me with soft searching expression. My eyes soften, and I bring my hand up to caress her cheek with the backs of my fingers. I fight down the urge to kiss her gently.

"I want to, but this isn't a small thing and I need time. So for the time being we should stick to being friends."

"With benefits?" she asks hopefully. I chuckle.

"I keep asking myself the same thing, but the answer has to be no."

"That sucks,"

"Tell me about it," I sigh out heavily. She looks up at me with a small shy smile, which I return.

"We should head downstairs," she suggests.

"We should, but first…" I turn to the dresser and pick up a hairbrush and hand it to her, "You should probably tame your wild hair. I don't want your Dads to think I defiled their daughter,"

"I wish you would," she mutters quietly under her breath as she turns to the mirror. It's so quiet I don't think I was meant to hear it, but I did so I laugh. After a few seconds she gives up with the brush and throws her hair up in ponytail. As she finishes she turns to me with narrowed eyes.

"I just realised, you are totally a self perpetuator of those mysterious, enigmatic qualities of yours," she points an accusing figure at me teasingly. I laugh. "You have no idea about the crazy thoughts running around my head right now because of your crypticness." I lead the way out her bedroom door and head downstairs.

"Why don't you hit me with a few, I don't think you will ever guess,"

"Okay. You're a notorious crime lord on the run from the law," I giggle.

"Nope,"

"You're a murderer on the run from the law,"

"Nope and as far as I'm aware I'm not on the run from the law so you can cross those ones off,"

"Oooh you're an undercover agent investigating someone in McKinley high school but you are not allowed to engage in intimate relations with potential suspects,"

"Oh good one! But no,"

"Okay how about a more realistic one?" she pulls me aside before we enter the dinning room and drops her voice low, "You used to be a guy but haven't had all the corrective surgery yet so you still have…man parts. That's okay with me, I would be completely comfortable with that and I would still think you're gorgeous." I smile brightly thinking how amazing and accepting this girl is. It fills me with hope that when the day comes to tell her I'm an alien from another planet that has bonded to her as a life mate, she might take it reasonably well.

"Rachel, while I love the fact that you are so wonderfully accepting, if I did have man parts, don't you think you would have felt them?" I suggest, referring to our very compromising position a few minutes ago. She blushes adorably.

"Good point. To be continued." She promises while walking into the dinning room.


"You girls took your time," Hiram commented as he walked in the room with dishes of food. Leroy was already sitting at the table, reading some documents, and appeared completely caught up in what he was reading, he barely acknowledged our entrance.

"I'm sorry Daddy, we were in the middle of an important discussion,"

"Mmhm," he regards us cynically. He appraises our appearances and I do my best not to feel self-conscious under his gaze. Our clothes are a little rumpled, that can be explained away but our behaviour would be a dead give-away. So I sit down, confident and composed, and smile at him as he places down the food.

"This looks amazing, Hiram," It really does, my stomach grumbles in agreement as I eye the large lasagne dish.

"Thank you, Quinn. Its vegan friendly I hope you don't mind," I shrug.

"If it tastes as good as it smells I'm happy. And if it doesn't I will lie through my teeth," I smile well naturedly, he chuckles.

"As all good guests should," he smiles at me. I like that he has a good sense of humour.

He turns to Leroy who is still concentrating hard on the papers in front of him, and frowns slightly. "No work at the dinner table please, honey," Leroy looks up absently then shakes himself back into the room.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," he pecks Hiram on the cheek, in an apology, as he gets up to put his things away. The gesture is wonderfully natural and I can tell that these two really love each other. The whole family dynamic speaks of love and it fills me with warmth. I feel Rachel's eyes on me and I turn to her, she looks like she's been studying my reactions to her fathers. She must like what she sees because she smiles so brightly and adoringly at me it makes my heart soar and I can't help returning the smile. Leroy comes back in and smiles at us knowingly.

Conversation flows easily during dinner, it's full of banter, light teasing and anecdotes, and I'm really enjoying seeing a snippet of this family's life. However, my eyes keep flicking back to Leroy who flitters in and out of the conversation but often falls into deep thought and looks a million miles away.

"Is everything alright, Leroy?" I ask gently and the other two trail off in conversation to listen in.

"I'm sorry. My mind was on a patient. I got a call before dinner that they've taken a turn for the worst,"

"I'm sorry to hear that. Can you tell me about it?" he looks a little surprised.

"Are you interested in medicine, Quinn?" I shrug.

"I'm interested in a lot of things, at the moment I'm interested in finding a way to help ease your burden," he huffs a laugh.

"I don't suppose you can cure this patient for me?" he suggests jokingly. I meet his gaze with a serious expression.

"Try me," I deadpan. He straightens up a little and eyes me curiously before his expression becomes bemused as he begins humouring me.

"Very well. A couple of days ago this patient was admitted to hospital with a rash and difficulty breathing, it was initially suspected to be anaphylactic shock," I nod in understanding of the initial diagnosis. "However, he soon developed a fever as well. This man is a janitor in industrial factories so we figured it was probably something he's been exposed to at work. But that could be anything: toxins, chemicals, fungal bacteria, a viral agent, anything. We did blood work, lumbar puncture, MRI and any tests we could think of to start excluding things. We excluded a lot of things when his symptoms became odder. Painful swollen joints, hallucinations, conjunctivitis, intermittent fever and rash, hearing loss… I think it must be some kind of autoimmune disease, but there is nothing I've heard of that fits. Then I got the call that his liver and kidneys have failed and he has lapsed into a coma. I have no doubt he's going to die if we can't figure it out." He finishes exasperated, running a frustrated hand over his head.

"What treatment have you given him so far?"

"Nothing really, other than they're now putting him on dialysis and moving him to ITU,"

"What about the fevers and the joint swelling?"

"We used ice to bring his temperature and swelling down,"

"And you said his fever and rash were intermittent? Did the rash come up after applying the ice?"

"No there wasn't any sign of an immediate reaction to it,"

"It could be CAPS," I deadpan. He looks at me wide eyed.

"What?"

"Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome, CAPS. It's a rare condition caused by a genetic defect in the Cold Induced Autoinflammatory Syndrome 1 gene, or CIAS1 gene for short. CAPS is a spectrum of autoinflammatory syndromes which includes Muckle-Wells syndrome, which I think best fits the symptoms you describe. Familial Cold-induced Urticaria may have also explained some of the symptoms if the rash onset was immediate after applying ice. But Muckle-Wells explains everything including the amyloidosis which is what's causing his organs to fail. The treatment for CAPS is Rilonacept, I believe."

The table is silent. Everyone is staring at me as if I've just grown another head. Leroy's expression is oddly blank for a long moment, before he suddenly gets up.

"Excuse me, I need to make a phone call," he disappears out the room in a daze. I watch him leave before I look down at my empty plate, wishing it was still full of food. I eye the half empty lasagne dish hungrily.

"Could I grab myself some more lasagne please, Hiram?" Rachel and Hiram are both still gaping at me, Hiram just nods absently. I smile and start spooning the food onto my plate happily. "What? Do you two want some more too?" I ask mostly to make them stop looking at me like that and also to break the silence. They both answer me with a no and a head shake. They at least stop staring at me, but start exchanging looks with each other. Leroy eventually walks back in and sits himself down.

"My colleagues agree with the Muckle-Wells syndrome theory. You may have just saved a man's life, Quinn," he says incredibly seriously.

"Glad I could be of help,"

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask…how could you possibly know that?" All eyes are back on me again. I shrug nonchalantly.

"I like to read, and I've read more than a few medical textbooks, I think the human condition is incredible,"

"Quinn is well known in school for being incredibly smart, Dad, most would say gifted" Rachel contributes, "Instead of attending most lessons she now tutors other students, including me, she's my physics tutor I was telling you about." I smile at her gratefully for attempting to dispel the awkwardness.

It doesn't really work as they proceed to question me about my 'gift', why I'm still in high school, what I plan on doing for a career, etc. And I answer them as honestly as possible, about how my parents want me to be socially well adjusted and were worried about the type of attention my intelligence would draw and didn't want me to be used or studied. This is true in many ways but it makes sense that any gifted individual would have to worry about the same thing. I told them that I had no idea what career I wanted and smiled while Leroy strongly hinted at medicine.

"Seems like you're not a bad catch, Quinn," Leroy comments teasingly, though I'm not sure who he is teasing more, me or Rachel. "Are you dating anyone currently?"

"Dad!"

"I thought you were married, Mr Berry," I chastise playfully. He laughs heartily.

"Ah yes, so I am," Hiram scolds him with a light smack on his arm, but he struggles to suppress his smile, "just out of curiosity then."

"No I'm not currently dating anyone,"

"That's surprising, isn't that surprising, Rachel?"

"Dad!" Rachel growls lowly, flushed with embarrassment. I'm finding this far too entertaining.

"So again just out of curiosity, maybe you could fill in the blanks. 'Beautiful, rich, intellectually gifted seeks…'"

"'…non paedophilic, socially adjusted, norm,'" Everyone laughs.

"Gender specific?"

"Dad, you can't ask her that!" Rachel looks mortified, but I find her indignation rather amusing.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Quinn, you don't have to answer that,"

"No it's fine. Gender makes no difference to me, and I don't think love considers gender either. Most people fall in love and don't carefully abseil into it with a guide rope and a safety harness. Love can be completely unexpected, so I keep an open mind."

"So you don't have a type? Like, let's say dark hair, dark eyes, tanned skin as a completely random, non-specific example," I see Rachel face-palm out of the corner of my eye and it makes me chuckle. I probably shouldn't take so much pleasure in her embarrassment but she looks adorable when she's flustered.

"Well Rachel here, just so happens to match that description and she is very attractive. But it would be an injustice to group her into a type. Rachel is one of a kind, unique. And anyone who does or doesn't fall for her because she does or doesn't fit into their 'type' is a fool because they would miss all her complexities and amazing qualities that make her unlike any other dark hair, dark eyed, tanned skinned person out there. Rachel just being Rachel is what makes her attractive, not the colour of her hair. So why have a type?"

"Good point, very well made," Hiram praises with a bright smile.

"I like you. Have I mentioned I like you?" Leroy asks with a happy grin. I chuckle.

"I believe you have, right before you allowed Rachel to keep me,"

"Ah yes, I've changed my mind. Rachel I won't allow you to keep her…I insist upon it…Rachel?" Rachel is sitting still with an indefinable expression before she suddenly gets up grabbing a few empty plates.

"Excuse me," she mumbles before heading to the kitchen. Concerned about her sudden shift in mood, I pick up the remaining dishes and quickly follow.

"Rach?" I keep my voice gentle. She is standing at the sink just staring out the window. The only way I can tell she has acknowledged my presence is by her turning on the tap and starting to furiously scrub at a plate. I've seen my mother in the kitchen like this a few times and then my father comes in and seems to know instinctively how to calm her. I think it's because of their mating bond; they always seem to know how the other is feeling and know exactly how to respond to it to make things better. I don't have that instinctive knowledge right now. Maybe it's because she is human or maybe it's because the bond is incomplete or both, but I don't like it. I hate feeling clueless and helpless.

My best guess is she is mad at me so I figure she will say something when she is ready. I ease myself nearby and grab a dish cloth and start drying the dishes she has finished washing. Four dishes down she opens her mouth to speak but doesn't look at me.

"You are a walking contradiction," this makes no sense to me but her voice is bitter so I don't question it yet. "You can't just talk about me like that after telling me you don't want me," okay I have to argue that.

"I never said I didn't want you," I say softly but firmly.

"No you just don't want to be with me,"

"I didn't say that either,"

"Oh right I forgot, you don't trust me. I feel so much better," the sarcastic edge makes me wince.

"Rachel, will you look at me a minute?" I ask gently. When she makes no move to turn I grab a clean towel in one hand and gently encourage her hands out of the dishwater with my other. I start drying her small delicate hands reverently while easing her round to face me. She doesn't look up so I ditch the towel and take one hand in mine and bring the other up to caress her cheek until my eyes meet mine.

"I wish things were simpler. I wish this was a case of girl meets girl, girl dates girl, girl falls in love and has lady babies with girl," she snorts but I see a hint of a reluctant smile. "But it's not that simple, the only things that are simple are my feelings for you, I want you and I want to be with you. That's never going to change, but I have to put my feelings aside as best I can for now because I'm trying to do the right thing and give you a choice."

"What choice? Because I sure as hell don't feel like I have a choice right now,"

"The choice is whether to be with me or walk away," she goes to say something but I cut her off. "You can't make a final decision yet because you don't know everything about me, and when you do it may change your mind. However, you can choose now to walk away or find out where this goes on the condition that we stay friends until I'm ready to share everything. I feel I must point out that I've only known you since Tuesday and I don't think five days is long enough to share all my life secrets, or maybe that's just me and my mysterious personality." I try and joke and I succeed in getting a weak smile from her. "I'm serious though when I say that if you are already fed up and don't want anything to do with me then I can leave now and you never have to see me again. You always have a choice, you're holding the reigns."

"No I'm not, I'm stuck in the carriage along for the ride. You tell me I have a choice right now like jumping out of the carriage is the easy option, like it isn't going to hurt, but it will."

"Which is why I'm trying to slow the carriage down to make it easier before we're moving too fast and its becomes harder for you to leave."

"We need to stop using analogies it's started to make my head hurt," she runs a hand through her hair, and looks suddenly tired. "This isn't what I was angry about anyway. I'm not leaving this. I'm not even going to try to because I don't want to. I really like you, Quinn, and I have wanted to be with you for a long time now, pretty much since your first day at McKinley. These past couple of days have been amazing because I finally felt like I actually had a chance with you. So I was mad because I was sitting in there listening to you and becoming increasingly more frustrated that I have to wait to be with you."

My grin nearly splits my face and I haul her into a huge hug. She squeaks in surprise as I lift her off the ground. I'm so happy right now. Her words to me are like crumbs of food to a starving man. It wasn't a declaration of love but to me it was almost as important to know that, to her, this isn't just about physical attraction. Our feelings may be more similar than I had thought. But I'm surprised by something she said. She's giggling as I place her back down and I keep my arms around her.

"You've liked me since September?" She bites her lip nervously before she nods. "Why didn't you say anything before? You didn't even talk to me. I didn't even-"

"Know I existed until now?" Her tone isn't accusing but I still wince because she is right, I didn't and I've only just realised how shocking that is. How could I have been so blind to her? "It's okay, I mean we don't have any classes together, we never eat lunch in the same place, it's not like we would have similar social circles because I don't have a social circle and you seem to ignore yours. There are still people in the school that I wouldn't recognise, so don't feel bad. I only knew you because, unconscious or not, you made one hell of an entrance your first day, and you're kind of famous in the school." My thoughts are racing. What does this mean? Is this part human crush, part Caelen bond? Was I just incredibly lucky to bond to a human that already had a crush on me? Is she even affected by the bond at all? I can't answer any of these questions right now, so I put them aside and count my blessings.

"I do feel bad, I don't know how I could have been so blind. You are so extraordinary, I feel like I have missed out on so much." Her smile is beautiful and reaches her eyes making them shine. I'm struck dumb by the perfection in front of me. My eyes trace her features, memorising them. Her smile dims but her eyes become dark. I feel the energy between us shift to a familiar charged atmosphere. My eyes drop to those tempting lips as she licks them slowly finishing with a small guilty bite to her lower lip. "Stop that." I breathe out.

"Stop what?" she asks innocently leaning into me a little more.

"Stop making me want to kiss you," her breathing picks up a little. Her eyes dart to my lips.

"Is that so bad? Can't we be friends that kiss occasionally? We could call it practise." She's a seductive temptress in disguise, I should have known all along. She might as well be holding out a delicious, mouth-watering red apple. Or maybe it should be a berry in this case…

"That would be a great plan, but the thing is…I'm not sure I could stop myself at kissing," her eyes snap to mine and I know she can read how serious I am. It was meant to be a warning but to her it probably sounded more like a promise because a moment later my nostrils flare with her scent. I feel the primal beast inside me stir, it knows what it wants and it's making sure I do too. I lean in-

"Whoops, sorry girls,"

Let it be known that Rachel's fathers have fantastic timing.

"I didn't mean to interrupt um anything," Leroy is standing in the doorway with a mixture between a guilty and pleased expression. We've already pulled away from each other. I'm feeling relieved, Rachel just looks frustrated again. I'm starting to wonder how onboard she is with this whole 'friends' thing. I don't think she gets how important it is or maybe she just really doesn't care. Either way I think I'm going to be the only one fighting off both our desires while she is going to make this very difficult for me. Oh boy.

"No its okay, Leroy." I turn to finish off the dishes. I can't see it but I'm convinced Rachel is glaring daggers at her dad right now.

"Ahh I was just going to ask if you're staying with us tonight, Quinn?"

"No" "Yes" Rachel and I simultaneously answer. Leroy looks confused, so am I.

"I should really be heading home," I say more to Rachel.

"You don't have to leave now," Rachel rushes out.

"I should. I don't want to take up anymore of your family's evening," I put the last clean dish aside.

"Quinn, it's been an absolute pleasure having you here. We'd love you to stay longer."

"Thank you, Leroy, I've had a wonderful time but I sadly I should take my leave." Leroy nods in understanding.

"Will you come back?" Rachel asks timidly, I hate that she thinks I could be scared off that easy.

"Of course I will, I love this family. Just try and stop me. Besides, I love hanging out with you, Rachel." I pull her into a hug but keep it brief. "Where's Hiram? I need to say goodbye."

"You're leaving?" Hiram asks surprised as he walks in.

"Yes but I will be back, I'm like a stray cat, you've fed me now and I liked it, I will be back for more," he chuckles and pulls me into a hug. It's warm and comfortable, and I feel accepted.

"You are by far my favourite stray, I'm happy to feed you anytime," I'm barely out of his embrace before I'm pulled into the taller frame of Leroy. He squeezes me tightly, I squeeze back.

"Thank you, Quinn." He murmurs sincerely. Then he disconnects to put a hand on my shoulder. "I don't how to express my gratitude for what you did for my patient this evening. I'm sure he and his family could say it better than me when he recovers…would you like to meet him?"

"We don't know if I'm right yet, but if I am, you should be the one taking credit for this not me. Doctors cure people not 17 year old book worms, and I'm sure that is what he and his family would like to continue to believe."

"That's very noble, Quinn. If you're interested I would love you to come into work with me one day. I'd be interested in seeing how well you pick things up, and you can see if medicine is something you would like to pursue." I'm amazed by his generosity, and I'm genuinely intrigued by the idea of seeing things I've read about being put into practise.

"I'd be honoured, thank you, Leroy." He squeezes my shoulder one last time. I turn to Rachel. She's staring at the floor, her face looks so dramatically downcast you would think I was leaving for good.

"Walk me to my car?" she looks up and nods. I pick up her jacket as we walk out the door and hand it to her. The evening air is quite cool and I don't want her to get cold while we talk.

"You know why I have to go right?" she just shrugs. "I'm not leaving because I want to, but because if I stay I'm going to end up doing something I shouldn't. I care about you and respect you too much to let that happen." She sighs heavily.

"I'm sorry, you don't need to explain yourself again I'm just being selfish and a little greedy. I'm really glad you came and hung out with me today."

"Me too, Rach," I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head before holding her against me. She relaxes into me quickly but I again pull away after a few seconds. "I'll see you Monday. Don't forget about our physics tutoring session."

"Gee I can't wait," she says sarcastically, I giggle as I open the car door.

"Learning's fun, Rach. Besides you know I'm your favourite teacher." I wink before climbing in the car and backing out the driveway.