Quinn crept alongside of a building in Iraq. When she first had the thought of joining the military, she didn't think that they would deploy her. In a way, she hoped for that kind of excitement, but now that she was here she was regretting it mildly.

At times like these, when her crew was mindlessly walking around and trying to find bombs while the Special Operations team was off doing its thing, she would let her mind drift to what her life could have been like if she hadn't have joined. Maybe she would be with Santana, Brittany, Kurt and… Rachel.

"Rachel…" She whispered under her breath. Her mind spinning to her last encounter with the shorter woman.

*Flash back to Lima*

Quinn watched Rachel pace around her room almost frantically. She figured this was how the brunette tended to think about things most accurately. She couldn't help but smile softly at the other woman, wondering what could be going through her mind.

"So are you planning on making a little track in my carpet with all of that pacing or can you please sit down?" Quinn asked with a smile.

Rachel stopped as soon as she heard Quinn's voice and blushed. It had been a week since the passing of Santana's aunt and Rachel had hardly seen Quinn. She knew that Quinn's mother wanted and deserved to spend time with her but she couldn't lie…she was jealous. Quinn had talked to Santana in the hospital but when Rachel asked what had been seen Quinn merely shrugged and began to walk away. The next day Santana sent her a very clear text. It read: "I don't know wht has hapned w/ Q. done w/ her shit."

Rachel knew right away that the meeting between friends had definitely left in a falling out but she was unsure as to why Quinn seemed so at ease with it.

Clearing her throat, Rachel sat at the computer chair opposite to Quinn. "Right. Quinn I-" Rachel began, still noticing the discoloration from the bruises on her face. "What happened?" Rachel instead asked.

Quinn rose and eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"

"Your face! What happened?" Rachel blurted.

Quinn smiled at reached for Rachel's hands. "It's nothing." She said calmly.

Rachel immediately withdrew her hands and stood. "It's not nothing!" Rachel yelled. "You've been so secretive! First with not being able to see where you are, when you'll be back, and for what reason. And now? You do come back, after not talking to me for a week! You didn't even make it clear as to when I'd hear from you again! You just show up in Lima, have some secret conversation with Santana, which apparently has led to the end of your friendship, and then disappear for another week! This is that only time that I've seen you since you've made it back." Rachel was pacing again. Quinn was watching her, eyebrows knitted together.

Quinn stood, stopping Rachel from pacing, and approached her. "Rachel…Santana can be dramatic."

"Dramatic?" Rachel said, stepping away. "She lost her aunt, Quinn. There's nothing dramatic about needing a friend's support."

"She has Brittany for that." Quinn waved off, turning back to sit on the bed again. "She doesn't need me to listen to her every problem." Quinn sighed and watched Rachel move to grab her coat from the back of the computer chair.

Quinn hopped up from the bed as Rachel grabbed the handle to her bedroom door. "Where are you going?" Quinn asked, her heart beating almost out of her chest.

She watched as Rachel's head dropped, before the girl turned to look at her. "I'm going to Santana's, Quinn. She's very upset." Rachel pulled the door open but stopped just before walking out. "You know I've never had very many friends. But this," Rachel motioned to Quinn This isn't how you treat them, even I know that." Rachel smiled sadly at Quinn. "Goodbye Quinn."

*End Flashback*

Quinn heard shouting from inside of the building that she had been walking against. She didn't understand any of the words but she knew she had to be on her toes. She had to stop thinking about her life when the life of her team was always in her hands. "Heads up, Daniels, we got some unknowns inside." Quinn spoke softly, listening as her earpiece crackled to life.

"Roger that. How many?" Daniels spoke clearly.

Quinn pushed her body as close to the building as possible and snuck along until she saw a window. She said a silent prayer and peaked her head up slowly. Seven men came into view and all were armed.

Ducking down quickly, Quinn carefully spoke. "Seven unknowns, all armed."

Quinn waited to hear the crackle again. "Should we treat them as hostiles?" Daniels came back through the earpiece.

Quinn ground her teeth together, irritated because of the unknown. She was aware of a lot at the moment. She was aware of the sweat that was dripping down her face, and the taste of sand in her mouth. She was aware that they were in a busy city and that these men may very well know of their presence already. She was also aware of the last thing that Rachel had said to her. She was aware of the last thing that her best friend had also said to her. She felt her anger bubbling up deep within her.

"Fabray?" Came the familiar crackle and sound of Daniels voice. "Are we clear to treat them as hostile?"

Quinn rocked slightly on her crouched feet. "Unclear." Quinn spoke before standing slowly and walking past the window, intentionally catching their sight. She pretended to do a double take when she walked past.

With her finger hovering above the trigger of her gun, she turned to look at the men. She was clearly outnumbered, and they knew that too. She reached up slowly and rested her hand barely against her chest, her finger now hovering over the communication button of her headset. She was giving them a chance. Not a chance to live, a chance to show her if they were hostile or not. She felt her heart beating like it did on her last day in Lima. Her last night in the United States.

*Flashback*

Quinn had been making dinner all night, she wanted to surprise her mom with a nice meal before she had to leave tomorrow to ship out. She knew that it was extremely rare for someone to be sent home for such a short time just to see someone else's family member before they died, so she was thankful for that. She knew that once she got back her stay there this time was going to be much longer. She wasn't going to see her mother for months. And that was if she came back at all.

She was knocked out of her thoughts by the sound of the front door closing. The familiar sound of heels against the solid wood floors made Quinn smile.

"Quinn?" Her mom was at the foot of the staircase, calling up.

"I'm in here mom!" Quinn called back from the kitchen, her timer alerting her that the lasagna was done. Quinn wasn't much of a baker, hell she wasn't much of a cook. This was proven by the fact that what should have taken her 45 minutes to complete this simple recipe, ended up taking her two whole hours to do. Minus the cook time.

Quinn watched as her mom's face instantly lit up at the smell of the dinner she was cooking.

Her mother hugged her once she was in reach and didn't let go, instead, she deepened it and kissed the side of her temple. She pulled away, rubbing Quinn's arms before speaking up. "It smells delicious! What did you make?"

"Lasagna." Quinn turned around and headed back to start cutting out two pieces. "Your favorite." She smiled at her mom, and just then, then door bell rang.

"Are you expecting someone?" Judy asked as she headed towards the door.

Quinn quickly walked ahead of her and shook her head, smiling. "No, but you've worked all day so let me get it." Judy looked like she was about to argue but the rumble of her stomach gave it away. "You're hungry, go eat."

Judy sighed in defeat and smiled. "Whoever it is, tell them your mother wants to spend time with you so they need to leave." Judy laughed to herself and winked.

Quinn rolled her eyes and headed for the door. She knew her mother would never actually ask her to say that, or condone that kind of behavior but it still cracked her up.

She was almost to the door when the bell was rang several times in a row, she rolled her eyes in irritation.

"Some people…" Quinn muttered under her breath.

Quinn swung the door open just as the door bell was rung several more times.

"For the love of- Santana?" Quinn looked at her best friend who looked in an awful state. The other girl was stumbling slowly and her hair was disheveled. "Santana?" Quinn reached out for the other girl, who immediately stumbled away in anger. "Santana, have you been drinking?" Quinn said as she stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

This seemed to get Santana's attention because her face distorted into rage. "Oh so you care now?" She slurred at Quinn, barely holding herself up.

"Santana, you need to sit down before you fall down." Quinn stepped towards her again and this time was met with no resistance. However, once Santana was seated, Quinn was shoved away.

"Don't pretend like you care!" Santana yelled at her. "You didn't give a shit in the hospital! You treated it like you'd never known her! You treated me like I was nothing to you!" Santana huffed under her breath. "You know Rachel has been around more than you? The girl who we fucking hated in high school. The one we teased and tortured every single day. She has been a better friend to me than you have."

Quinn sat next to Santana, listening to everything she had to say. She was calling her every word she could think of and some in Spanish, too.

Quinn wasn't sure why she had behaved how she had. Well, she was but it wasn't an excuse. She should've known to leave what happened in that hell-hole, there. Not bring it back with her. She was hurting her friends and her girlfriend. She was being selfish.

"You have no right to even have us as friends! Do me a favor and stop trying to make excuses. Just don't come back next time!" Santana yelled in a fit of rage.

"Santana I-," Santana swung at her, Quinn backed up far enough that she fell off of the steps they were sitting. She hit her back and as it connected with the ground she was back in Iraq. Back to the man on top of her, the smell of his breath and the utter hatred that filled his body as he struggled for his life. As he struggled against her, trying to take hers.

She felt the blood pounding in her ears and when she looked up she saw Santana staring at her as Brittany held her up. Quinn was shaking and staring at her hands. She saw Rachel slowly walking towards her, hands out in concern. She could hear herself mumbling something but she couldn't make out the words. Her mom was in the doorway, door fully open as she stood in shock with her hands covering her mouth.

The sound returned to the world and she heard herself finally. She heard the words that were leaving her mouth and she immediately clamped her mouth shut.

"Quinn? Quinn, sweetheart I'm right here." Rachel was saying, slowly walking towards her.

*End Flashback*

Her thoughts were racing as she started at the men who had their guns dangling in their hands. She knew that this was a stupid idea and she knew that if anyone saw her doing this that she could get in serious trouble. She wasn't just risking her life; she was risking the lives of her team and she was jeopardizing the mission.

She held the button of her headset and spoke firmly. "Clear."

She let her hand fall to its original position and marched forward. As terrifying as it was to see guns on people who could very well be a threat, it was a very real reality in Iraq. So many people carried guns and Quinn couldn't always see them as hostile, right? If she did then she would have taken many more lives than she already had.

"What took you so long Fabray?" Daniels voice came over the headset as she also came into view at a street down the way. Quinn assumed they were making eye contact as they spoke. "I wasn't sure. They didn't look too friendly." She laughed into her com, "I gave them a chance to show me otherwise." Quinn finished.

She watched as Daniels disappeared behind a building before reappearing and making her way towards her. "Classic Fabray I suppose." Quinn could hear the joking undertone. "The coms have been so nice since Martinez has been resting, I have to say."

Quinn laughed, "Yeah, well she's back in two weeks so don't get used to it."

Quinn waited as Daniels approached and saw the big smile on her face. "I couldn't forget that irritating shit even if I wanted to." She complained. "That girl has a very distinct way of getting under my skin."

Quinn patted Daniels on the shoulder. "Don't worry, only four more months."

Daniels groaned while Quinn laughed at their situation.

Quinn lay awake in her bunk that night, Daniels sleeping in the cot that was next to hers. She couldn't remember the last time that she had slept as well as Daniels did.

The blonde soldier rolled onto her back and stared up at the darkness.

*Flashback*

Quinn was sitting in a coffee shop in the airport. Her plane was going to be ready to board soon and from the way that Rachel kept glancing up at her sadly, she knew what she had to do.

"You want to know what happened." Quinn supplied for Rachel. The brunette's eyes quickly snapped to her and she began shaking her head rapidly in agreement.

"Quinn you kept saying you had to do it. What did you have to do?" Rachel spoke quietly, softly. Rachel reached over and entwined their hands.

Quinn looked deep into Rachel's eyes before she spoke. "Rachel I-I can't do this."

Quinn watched as Rachel's face paled. "Wha-what?" Rachel acted like a fish out of water. "I….I don't understand."

"It's not fair to you. It's not fair that you have to wait for me."

Rachel immediately interrupted her, "I don't care! I'll wait, okay? I'll…I'll be more patient, and-and understanding!" Rachel smiled as a tear escaped her eye. "Please Quinn, I'll do anything." Rachel was almost about to break, Quinn could see this.

"It's not anything that you're doing. Rachel, you need to experience New York and college and life. You deserve that." Quinn could see the small part of Rachel that was agreeing. "You can't experience that with me. You don't need me…not right now." Quinn grasped Rachel's hands in her own. The other girl was shaking just as much as she was.

"I love you Rachel Barbra Berry." Quinn spoke softly.

She heard the loud alarm on Rachel's phone alerting them both that it was time for Quinn to leave.

Quinn went to speak before Rachel interrupted her. "Don't you dare say goodbye to me." Rachel stood then, Quinn decided it would be best if she stood even if her legs felt weak.

Rachel hugged her tight then. She wrapped her arms around her neck and breathed softly against her ear. "You are coming back." Rachel whispered. "You're coming back and when you get back you're going to have to court me all over again." Rachel said through tears.

Quinn let out a soft, watery laugh. "If I have to."

Rachel pulled back breaking the embrace. She kissed Quinn gently once more, her tongue reaching out. Quinn tasted the faint hint of vanilla on her lips. In the second that her lips were on Quinn's, they were gone. When Quinn opened her eyes Rachel was gone.

Thirty minutes later Quinn was walking to board her plane. She had a feeling that told her to look back and when she did, scanning the crowd, she saw Rachel standing amongst people. She had her arms folded across her chest, her face had tears rolling down it.

Quinn gave a small wave but it wasn't returned. She turned and walked on, ready for whatever came next.