It was Monday and Rachel was waiting patiently (not) by the phone. She couldn't imagine what kind of surprise would have to wait if it was told by the phone. Perhaps Lucy didn't want to tell her until whatever it was, was confirmed? She guessed she should have asked for a more specific time to wait because it was two in the afternoon and her legs kinda hurt from bouncing. She tried to wiggle her toes instead but it didn't release as much stress as moving her legs. She was never a patient person, especially when it came to Lucy, because everything that came from her was always good.

When the doorbell rang, Rachel jumped and was one second away from picking up the phone when she realized that, no, wrong sound.

Getting up from the couch, she stretched her back and eyed the baseball bat leaned next to the door. Her fathers were away to DC for ten days and she was home alone. Standing on her toes and steadying herself with a palm on the door, she peeked through the peephole to see a blur of blonde hair and the outline of a girl.

Beaming, Rachel unchained the door and turned the key, opening the door and waiting for Brittany to beam right back.

It wasn't Brittany at all.

Standing at her doorstep, so much taller and thinner and grown, in a white dress, with blonde hair and perfect white teeth, no braces, biting her lower lip, staring expectantly at her with her hands behind her back… no, it couldn't be…

"Hi Rachel." Lucy's breathy, timid voice spoke.

Lucy.

Her Lucy.

In a blur between the utmost desire in her mind and the second it took for the rest of her body to catch up, Rachel flung herself into Lucy's body and both collapsed to the porch's floor, squealing and giggling and squeezing.

Rachel hid her face onto her friend's neck, wrapping both her arms and legs around her body and inhaling the distinctive smell of Lucy's skin. It was a soft perfume that still smelled a little like baby skin and honey.

She felt Lucy squeezing right back, just as strongly, and lifting her back to get both of them to sit up.

"When did you get that strong?" Rachel beamed, centimeters away from Lucy's face and already counting the golden freckles in her eyes. Lucy grinned and Rachel's smile widened impossibly. "Your braces…" She gasped a chuckle, bringing her hand up to cup her friend's cheek. "You look so different."

"You still look the same." Lucy leaned her head to rest her cheek fully against Rachel's hand.

The brunette hid her face in Lucy's neck again, squeezing her tight.

"When did you get here? What are you doing here?"

"Maybe we should go inside."

Rachel nodded, getting up after a few seconds and pulling her friend along. She closed the door with the key and chain again and turned around, somehow expecting it all to be a hallucination. But Lucy was there, standing with her back straight and looking around the foyer.

"I should give you a tour." Rachel beamed. She took Lucy's hand and walked her around the ground floor and downstairs to the basement.

"What is this?" Lucy asked with amazement, eyes wide and bright.

"An Oscar room! We watch the Oscars here every year, obviously, but then we have a stage and a projector and sound system." As she finished speaking she had her friend in her arms again.

"I missed you." Lucy whispered, grinning against the top of her head. They stood there hugging for a little while. "You haven't grown a bit." She chuckled, squeezing tight.

"Let's make smoothies and we can talk." Rachel said at last, taking Lucy's hand and bolting up the stairs.

Lucy looked around Rachel's room, taking in the bright yellow walls and the record player, imagining her friend laying on the carpet and listening to music with her over the phone like they did for many years. She eyed the guitar resting on a corner and looked at Rachel, who was opening the window and moving the tray with both smoothies to the rooftop.

"Do you know how to play?"

"What?" Rachel turned around, looking at Lucy and then to where she was pointing. She blushed. "A little." She bit her lip. "I didn't want to tell you until I could play something for you without making a fool out of myself."

Lucy grinned. She was so changed, Rachel observed, but she still looked like an angel, after all these years.

"I'd still like to hear you play."

"Maybe later." Or never, Rachel thought. "Come on." She easily stepped out onto the roof and extended her hand to Lucy, who took it and gingerly stepped outside. "So, gymnastics, huh?" Rachel joked.

"And ballet." Lucy smiled, blushing.

"So… when did you get here?" Rachel asked, unable to contain herself any longer.

"Yesterday…"

"Yesterday?" Rachel repeated incredulously. "And what took you so long to come here?"

"Rachel…" Lucy drawled in that breathy voice of hers that asked for patience. The brunette went silent instantly. "I'm not visiting."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… Daddy's moved his business. Your Papa didn't tell you because… um, well, he wanted it to be a surprise. He didn't want to tell you and then having it not come true and disappoint you."

"Moved business?" Rachel frowned, somehow knowing it was a very easy concept to grasp but still not daring herself to, just yet.

"Jonah, their third partner? He stayed back home, but Daddy moved over here to help your Papa."

"You moved… over here?" Lucy nodded, biting her lip expectantly. "For how long?"

Lucy shrugged.

"Forever?" She asked with a grin and a glint in her eye.

Rachel's smile blossomed slowly across her face and her eyes began to water slowly. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling as her nostrils flared.

"You… you mean… you're here? With… with me? Forever?"

"Yes, I'm here with you forever." Lucy gasped in a breathy laugh.

Rachel flung herself at her again, burying her face in her chest and crying openly. Lucy didn't even wince when the smoothies collapsed on the roof and stained her white dress. She wrapped her arms around her friend, hiding her face in her dark hair and they both cried and laughed at the same time for a while.

Once Rachel calmed down enough and pulled back, she saw Lucy's dress and bit her lip, breaking into hysteric laughter after only a few seconds.

"Another white dress." She snorted. "Judy's going to be glad to have me back."

"I'm already obliged to bring you back home today."

"Okay." Rachel smiled. "Well… are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"I know I've been a little distant these past months, Luce, and you've been busy. It's just… you're really changed, and… I've missed it." She shrugged sadly. "I just want to know what happened."

"Is it… good changed?" Lucy bit her lip shyly, anxiousness clearly shown in her eyes.

"It's good; I mean… you look great. But you looked great before. I mean… I've always thought you were… you know."

Lucy bit her lip again, but this time it was around a smile.

"Okay…" She breathed. "I really like ballet and… when Mom inscribed me in gymnastics I discovered I really liked it as well. And… when I started to get thinner, Mom said we should start eating healthier and… then I started using Proactiv." She shrugged.

"And the hair?"

"The hair was actually Frannie's idea. We were playing around and she dyed some strands purple before she –oh yeah, she's getting married."

"What?" Rachel shrieked, getting up to her feet. "Wait a minute; you can throw all that information at me at once!"

"Sorry." Lucy laughed. "I missed your antics up close." She said softly.

Rachel tried to glare, but her lips wouldn't stop stretching into a smile.

"But are you happy?" She questioned quietly. "This is not –do you… feel comfortable? You know, with yourself?"

"I do." Lucy nodded, meeting Rachel's eyes. "You know how hard it was for me to feel comfortable before. And now I feel really good; exercising makes me feel good, I guess. I just really like it."

Rachel grinned contentedly, propping herself down in front of Lucy and taking her hands.

"I'm happy for you, then. I… you should have always felt comfortable with yourself, and I'm sorry you couldn't before. But I'm glad you are, now. I'll always find you just gorgeous… you're my best friend."

Lucy ducked her head, squeezing the hands in hers.

"So… Frannie's getting married?"

"With Chris." Lucy nodded.

"The loser UPS guy?" Rachel raised her eyebrows incredulously.

"He's not really a loser. He's actually kind of cool, and has his own franchise now."

"When are they getting married?"

"Relax, they're just engaged for now. It's going to be one of those long engagements."

"Why?" Rachel's face scrunched up almost in disgust. "That's not romantic at all!"

"They're building their house first." Lucy shrugged.

"I'm sorry about your dress." Rachel bit her lip.

"I'm not wearing it to the wedding." Lucy arched her eyebrow.

Rachel scoffed, shoving her lightly and then pulling her close, hugging her arm and resting her head on her shoulder.

"I can't believe you're actually here." She mumbled after a few minutes of content silence.

"Me neither." Lucy smiled softly, resting her nose on dark hair and inhaling. Rachel smelled like body lotion and sunshine.

"You'll meet Brittany and Santana." Rachel squealed. "We're starting High School together!"

It seemed like Rachel was just realizing what Lucy moving to Lima implied. She kept rambling for over an hour about all the things they'll get to do and everything she had to show her, and Lucy just grinned and nodded along, already feeling at home in Lima, after barely a day.

Rachel closed every window and locked every door in the house before going outside. Lucy's bike was leaned against the front porch railing and she carried it down the steps easily, waiting for Rachel to grab hers from the hollow space under the porch stairs.

"It's only seven blocks!" Rachel squealed once they got to Lucy's house. "Oh my, did you buy the biggest in Lima?" She gasped.

"Pretty much." Lucy chuckled. "We have two guest rooms here now that there's no room that's officially Frannie's, so there's a lot of space. The only room that looks the same is Dad's office; the rest is just kind of a mess still."

"Of course, you moved yesterday." Rachel answered distractedly, trying to see in the space between the curtains for people inside the house.

"Ready?" Lucy smiled.

Rachel bit her lip.

"I don't know why I'm suddenly nervous." She murmured, looking up to find Lucy's hazel eyes staring tenderly at her. "Will you hold my hand?"

"Of course."

Nobody heard the door opening or closing, and they giggled quietly as they tiptoed around the house, eager to see who would be the first to encounter Rachel and how they'll react.

Nobody was in the kitchen, or in the living room packed up with boxes. They were making a turn for the hallway when the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs was heard and they froze. As if on cue, Judy stopped dead in the middle of the stairs before letting out her most unlady-like squeal.

"Rachel!"

Said brunette grinned and blushed as Judy descended quickly to envelope her in a hug.

"Honey, it's been so long! You're really not that taller, you know?" She frowned. "And you're so skinny! We'll have to put a little meat into those bones!" She exclaimed while pinching what little she could of Rachel's bicep. "Now really." She clicked her tongue.

"I swear I eat, Judy; all healthy. Daddy and Papa call me if they're not home to ask me what I had for lunch and dinner and I never lie, I promise." She smiled charmingly.

"Already harassing her?" Russell's deep but amused voice sounded from the end of the hallway, coming out of his office. "Rachel." He smiled and opened his arms.

Rachel ducked her head and moved shyly between them, smiling once his familiar cologne reached her senses. Russell Fabray wasn't a hugger, just for birthdays and Christmas, but this appeared to be a special occasion.

"Lucy Quinn, what happened to your dress?" Judy scolded.

Everything felt strangely familiar really quickly, and after drinking ice-tea with Judy and talking, Rachel and Lucy went up to Lucy's room to unpack some more.

"I'm afraid I'll wake up at any second now." Rachel grinned, pulling Mr. Teddy from a box and holding him at arm's length happily.

"Ever the dramatic one, Ms. Berry."

"When did you get witty all of a sudden?" Rachel grinned, holding her tongue between her teeth.

Lucy smiled and shrugged, fingers absently playing with the ring hanging from her neck. She noticed Rachel watching and ran towards her, tackling her to the bed and hugging her close.

"We'll finally be Lucy and Rachel." Rachel grinned, holding herself on her arms on either side of Lucy's head.

Lucy looked up at her and bit her lip, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Can I be Quinn instead?" She whispered, eyes suddenly shinning.

"Why?" Rachel frowned.

The blonde shrugged.

"I just want to start over, Rachel. Be happy."

Rachel looked at her intently. No hesitation, certainly no stutter. The only thing that hadn't changed a bit since the moment they met where the stunning hazel eyes.

Lucy or Quinn?

Quinn or Lucy?

"Can I still call you whatever I want?"

"Can you call me Quinn at school?" The famous eyebrow made its appearance.

Rachel bit her lip.

Quinn Fabray.

It certainly had a force behind it.

Quinn and Rachel. Rachel and Quinn.

"Okay." Rachel nodded, dropping herself on top of her again.

Quinn beamed.

Rachel entered the room with her usual, brighter than ever, beaming smile. The cover of the DVD made Quinn match her smile tenfold.

"We haven't watched this in a while." Rachel said happily as she set everything up. "All we need is your Mom's popcorn and Frannie complaining about the differences with the book for it to be just like old times."

"Yeah, she still does that." Quinn smiled as the first scene of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe started.

Pre-made popcorn was not their favorite option, but it was what they had. Also vegan gummy bears and sodas. It almost felt like time hadn't passed in the last week they'd enjoyed together since she was here. She hadn't had memories of Rachel's old house to compare because, oddly enough, she didn't know Rachel's old house. Their time had always been spent outside when Rachel was with her dads, and in her old home when Rachel's Daddy was sick. They still hadn't gone back from DC, but Rachel politely declined her invitations of staying over at her home. Quinn figured it was too much like old times, when they were kids, scared and ignorant of what might happen, when they couldn't quite comprehend why Hiram's hair was falling until he was bald.

Rachel's hallway was littered with photographs, and one of the biggest ones was of her and her Papa on either side of Hiram's bed, all sporting their characteristically Berry wide smile, all perfect straight white teeth, surrounded by hospital's Christmas decorations, even though they were Jewish.

The movie was almost ending when the doorbell rang, and Quinn's head snapped up from Rachel's shoulder in shock. She had almost fallen asleep, lulled by the familiar scent of popcorn and Rachel with Narnia as a background. She almost expected to feel braces when she opened her mouth.

"What –"

"It's Brittany and Santana!" Rachel squealed.

Quinn grabbed her wrist just as she was about to run towards the door. Rachel smiled at her panicked expression.

"I told them everything about you." She said encouragingly, except it did almost the opposite thing. "Don't worry, Luce, they already like you." She turned her hand to squeeze Quinn's. "I'll introduce you as Quinn, Brittany will love you and don't pay any attention to Santana, she's a softy at her core. Okay?"

Quinn bit her lip.

"Come on." Rachel pulled her up the couch and didn't let go of her hand until she opened the door and Brittany pulled her up from the ground and twirled her around.

"Hi, Rachel!" She giggled like crazy until she put her down.

Rachel was panting and laughing, and she moved to hug Santana quickly before going back to Quinn's side.

"Guys, this is Quinn! She's moved here and will start High School with us!"

Brittany squealed and moved to hug Quinn with one arm, grinning as if they'd known each other forever.

"I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Quinn as in Lucy?" Santana asked with a frown.

"She prefers Quinn, Santana." Rachel said pointedly.

"We're Brittany and Santana." Brittany stated proudly, pushing Santana's shoulder without subtlety to make her greet Quinn.

Santana glared emptily at Brittany before raising her hand in a lazy wave.

"Hey Quinn." She grumbled.

Quinn bit her lip. These were strangers, but they also were Rachel's friends. She knew some things about them and it wouldn't be so hard to give them a chance. Brittany seemed nice, and Santana seemed to like what Brittany liked, at least according to Rachel. And Rachel was there. It couldn't possibly be bad.

Brittany helped Rachel make cocoa, moving around the kitchen with ease while Santana opened cupboards and the fridge to see what was in them. Quinn thought she heard her murmur something about vegan food in Spanish, which didn't sound like something happy, but she couldn't really understand.

"Shut up, you ate ten of my cookies last week." Rachel spat without turning to look at her.

"Whatever." Santana murmured, and raised herself on her arms to sit on the island.

She didn't really seem like the kind of person Rachel would like as a friend, but Quinn wasn't ready to judge. She looked away, blushing, when Santana caught her staring.

Once they went back to the living room, Brittany chose a Disney movie to put on the DVD. The volume was loud but no one was really paying attention; Santana was painting Brittany's nails and telling her over and over to keep still.

Rachel smiled hesitantly at her.

"Are you having fun?"

"Sure." Quinn breathed. She didn't like meeting new people, and she hoped she didn't come across as hostile.

"I have three new baby kittens, Rach." Brittany quipped while shaking her hand too vigorously to dry the paint. "We should go see them! Do you like kittens, Quinn?"

"Sure."

"Is that all you say?" Santana drawled.

"Sure." Quinn smiled at her. Santana rolled her eyes.

They were riding their bikes to Brittany's house when a boy in a skateboard whistled at them and the other three girls rolled their eyes.

"Aren't you eight years too old for a skateboard, Puckerman?" Santana snickered.

"You dig it, Baby!" He screamed behind them and Quinn cringed.

Who was that douche?

"Who's the new babe?" He drawled right next to her and Quinn couldn't help but grimace.

"None of your business." She answered coldly, and saw Rachel raising her eyebrows, clearly surprised and maybe even amused, at her.

"I like you." He panted from the effort of trying to catch up with the four of them, who wordlessly and telepathically agreed to speed up to lose him. "Tell me your name, future mother of my children."

"God, you got no game, dude." Santana shook her head, getting next to him and pushing him off his board to the ground.

Brittany laughed and Rachel gasped, and Quinn was somewhere between laughing and going to check on him.

"Sorry you had to meet Noah like that." Rachel grinned.

"Who is him?"

"Noah Puckerman. Don't worry; you'll get acquainted with him soon enough, judging by what just happened."

"What do you mean, acquainted?"

"He'll stalk you until you kiss him." Brittany stated matter-of-factly.

"Uh…"

"He followed me around for two weeks last year." Rachel grumbled.

"What about you two?"

"Nah, we kissed him so he didn't follow us."

"Easier." Santana shrugged.

Quinn frowned. She definitely wouldn't do that. That wasn't how things worked for her, but then again, no one had ever offered to kiss her; not when she was Lucy and only had one friend. She wasn't sure Brittany and Santana counted as her friends yet, but they would get there, maybe. Her new appearance was such a contrast to what she'd been all her life that it was still surreal, and she had no way to judge if people now spoke to her because she wasn't so ugly anymore. Rachel was her only certainty.

She still wasn't sure she was used to see what she saw when she looked in the mirror, now. A combination of weight loss, puberty and blonde hair dye made some serious changes to her looks, but she was still the same on the inside. She still felt too odd to make friends or to have boys following her around to kiss her, and she wasn't sure she wanted that, anyway; at least not yet.

Brittany's parents were veterinarians, she was aware of that, but she still didn't expect the way the blonde's house looked. It was an ordinary house on the outside, but the smell of sterile oddly mixed with the smell of animal food reached her as soon as she walked in. The three kittens were in a bunch of pillows and blankets underneath a dresser with its bottom drawer missing so they could fit, and Brittany and Rachel reached out confidently for a kitten each, the blonde cradling it against her chest and the brunette snuggling it to her face. Santana dropped herself down next to the dresser and watched Brittany with an intense look in her eye that made Quinn furrow her eyebrows.

"Isn't it the cutest?" Rachel awed, cradling the baby cat with both hands and stretching them towards Quinn.

Quinn beamed and snuggled next to Rachel to watch the kitten sleep.

The summer went by in a blur of vegan chocolate drinks and baby animals and bikes, with the return of the Berry men and the good news that they didn't have to leave town for a long while, if ever again.

It was five weeks before school and Quinn was once again staying over at Rachel's, listening to records and reading to each other. It was on the middle of a The Clipper of the Clouds chapter when the front door was knocked, followed by another nock and then three consecutive ones. Rachel's face suddenly washed with concern and she bit her lower lip.

"Please act like everything's normal." She whispered, cupping Quinn's cheek and then kissing the other one.

She walked to the door and opened it without checking who was on the other side, despite being past midnight. There was a bike Quinn recognized as Santana's before Santana herself came into view, and Quinn had to bite her lip to keep herself from gasping. Santana's eye was swelling and red, and her white shirt was stained with dirt and blood. People shouldn't wear white clothes, was Quinn's first thought, they always got dirty.

The brunette walked quietly inside, followed by Rachel, and when she came face to face with Quinn, she glared at her, as if she had been the one to hit her, as if daring her to say something.

"Hey Santana." Quinn greeted, the corner of her mouth lifting in a nervous attempt at a nonchalant smile.

"Lucy Q." Santana sneered, but Quinn didn't bite.

She turned to Rachel and saw her slipping her cell phone back into the pocket of her shorts.

They were in the middle of Rachel cleaning Santana's eye, first aid kit laying open in the kitchen island, when the door was knocked once, twice, and then three more times. Brittany didn't wait another second before opening the door and walking straight towards them, the most serious look Quinn had ever seen on her face so far, perhaps the first one ever.

Rachel quietly moved over to the fridge and took out four bottles of Sunny D and moved to the counter, grabbing Quinn by the hand and taking her with her. She handed her a bowl and a bag of chips, a silent instruction. Quinn filled the bowl and turned around, just in time to see Brittany cupping Santana's cheek and kissing her softly on the lips. The bowl almost slipped from her hands. She left it on the island and pulled herself up to sit on the counter, silently watching Rachel arrange snacks like nothing was happening, and trying hard not to look at the other two people in the room. Still, she caught Brittany taking out her hoodie from the corner of her eye and, when she turned around after taking Rachel's trail of sandwiches, Santana's white shirt was discarded on the floor and she had the hoodie on.

By the time the snacks were all devoured and the third Disney movie was on, Santana's eye was blue and she was sleeping quietly with her head on Brittany's lap, much like Rachel was on Quinn's own.

This was a part of their lives Rachel hadn't told her about, maybe because it wasn't her story to tell. Quinn liked to think she understood everything better now, but that would be a lie.

Lima was turning into a place full of the unexpected, as quickly as it felt like home.