Author's Note: This is it! The moment we've all been waiting for. Thanks for the reviews people! It's been amazing. Appreciated! Very much! And this is unfairly long. Sorry.
Oh well, this is now the start of going back to the past while we are looking ahead to Rachel and Quinn's future.
The weekend went by swiftly despite Rachel knowing that Monday is gonna change her life. She planned on telling Brittany about the whole publicist thing but since she knows how good friends Quinn and Brittany are, so she decided to keep things a secret and just surprise the dancer on Monday.
Despite this whole thinking over, Rachel thought she wasn't ready for the encounter with the former HBIC or maybe still the HBIC. So, on Sunday night, she went to a nearby music bar, sang a couple of karaoke songs and then drank a lot of liquor.
She was tipsy enough to have Brittany pick her up literally because she was sitting hopelessly on the gutter of the sidewalk as the paparazzi took photos of her and this, this scene with Rachel Berry sitting hopelessly drunk on the sidewalks – is a new low.
She passed out and the next thing she knew, it was 6:30 in the morning as her clock said. It's Monday. Yes, it's Monday.
With her head throbbing a little, she sat still on the bed after she turned her alarm off. She could feel movement in the living room and she knows what this means. Suddenly, the morning sun light beaming in her room doesn't hurt, it gives her hope that maybe, just maybe, it will be a good day after all.
It's Monday! Oh God, I never appreciated Rebecca Black ever but I wish it is Friday!
Again, with her favorite debate partner – herself, they debated if she should go out there that soon or just hide and pretend not to remember anything.
She was forced to go down her repressed memories and recalled how terrible Quinn has put her into in high school and at that, she realized that she should not be afraid anymore. She knows very well that it's not the reason she's terrified at the moment. Repressed memories, still keeping them.
Rachel sighed and then straightened up, "I'm the boss now. No one can push me around anymore."
"That's right, Rachel Berry. You are the Rachel Berry," Rachel answered herself mimicking a deeper voice as if it was another person speaking.
She went back to herself and then stood up, "What am I so afraid about?"
While she was making her way downstairs she can't help but stare at her feet or to say correctly, she can't stomach looking at the scene that is to unfold in front of her.
She expects a Quinn Fabray in a Cheerios uniform, arms folded in front of her chest greeting her, "Good morning, man hands."
As Rachel reached the bottom of the stairs, she finally looked up and saw only Megan and Charles. She looked around and searched for a blonde cheerleader but she was nowhere to be seen.
"She's not yet here, Rachel," Charles, who was sitting in the recliner, said as he figured out who Rachel was looking for.
"Her call time is seven," Megan backed up.
"Way to be late," Rachel bitterly uttered.
"Don't you want to be free for the last ten minutes, Rach?" Charles teased.
"Funny, Charles," Rachel said as she stormed to the kitchen and filled her favorite cup with black coffee. Pure. She only does this when she's too nervous.
She was concentrating on her coffee when the doorbell rang. She heard someone get the door and when she heard Charles say, "Good morning, Quinn," she nearly dropped the cup that she needed to use her free hand to save it.
She heard footsteps reach the living room and man, she never felt so scared her entire life. She sighed heavily as she counted her steps out of the kitchen. Her heart pounded so hard that she thought it sounded like a ringtone.
Rachel reached the living room with her eyes looking at her feet trying to dramatically postpone the reunion.
"Rachel," Megan called. "This is Quinn Fabray, your Publicist and Assistant," Megan finished the sentence.
Rachel slowly looked up, apparently hearing drum rolls. When her head is lifted enough, she saw, right there standing in front of her, the Quinn Fabray. Rachel stood there just looking at Quinn who was wearing a baby blue dress that hang up to the above of her knee. The dress was topped by a beautiful expensive-looking white cardigan. Her hair wasn't tied in a ponytail just like how Rachel expected it rather, her blonde locks were all neatly let down.
Her knees are now betraying her, they're growing weak at the sight of Quinn, still being the most beautiful girl she's ever seen. And thinking just about that. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.
Seconds went on, but there was nothing but silence. Rachel stood there just looking at her former life tormentor. Or maybe her former…
Rachel's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the voice she hadn't heard for years.
"Good morning, Ms. Berry. I'm Quinn Fabray," Quinn extended her hands to Rachel for shake hands and Rachel stood there just staring at the hand.
She looked at the hand, then to Quinn as Quinn flashed the same smile she smiled when she won Prom Queen back in senior high. As she once again saw that smile…
Rachel felt her heart melt. Rachel's face remained straight. She reached for the hand and shook it. And as their hands touched…
Rachel's body froze with a familiar feeling she also buried down her unconscious level. She tried so hard to smile and then lets go of Quinn's hand.
Breaking the ice, Charles asked in confusion, "I thought you two went to McKinley high together?"
"Yes, we did," Quinn said with gentle smile.
"Why is the introduction seemingly eerie?" Megan asked pulling Rachel to her side as she motioned Quinn and Charles to sit across them. Rachel sat frozen beside Megan while Charles and Quinn sat comfortably across them.
"Well, I thought maybe, Ms. Berry here doesn't remember me anymore. You know, time passes and we forget things," Quinn gracefully replied.
The calmness in her voice and her voice itself had always confused Rachel. Quinn can be the Head Bitch In Charge, but when she speaks, it almost sounds like an entire different person.
"As if someone forgets the Head Cheerleader," Megan said probably remembering her high school days.
After Megan spoke, the room dropped in a complete silence. Charles was looking at Rachel, Rachel at Quinn, Quinn somewhere else and Megan definitely still reminiscing.
The silence was broken when the door of Brittany's room swung open and the blonde came out of it.
Everyone turned to her and she smiled at everyone and greeted while making her way to the kitchen, "Good morning, Rach, Charles, Megan. Good morning, Quinn."
She doesn't realize it.
Upon uttering the last name she spoke of, Brittany stopped and turned to the four of them. Quinn stood up, smiling radiantly that Rachel thought she was an angel. Did I just think that?
Then, Brittany looked around processing the information. When she realizes it, she flushes the hugest smile she had in years and then ran towards Quinn, shrieking. Once close enough, she pulled Quinn into a tight hug that didn't feel as if she was ever letting go.
"Oh my God, Q! I am so surprised," Brittany exclaimed still hugging Quinn.
Everyone in the room giggled as well as Rachel who is now getting her nerves calm.
Brittany breaks the hug from Quinn and turns to Rachel, "You knew about this."
For the first time that morning, Rachel smiled a real smile. "Yes, but I wanted it to be surprise for you," Rachel said looking at Brittany as she saw Quinn smiling behind her. She tried to disregard the latter.
She was really happy to see Brittany happy.
Charles and Megan stood. "I think, it's time for us to leave. As I see it, you girls have a lot of catching up to do," Charles said as the two went out of sight.
After watching Charles and Megan close the front door, Brittany jumped into Quinn again for another hug.
"Oh, God! Q! I have never seen you so beautiful as you are right now!"
"You too. Even if you're obviously fresh from a good night's sleep," Quinn said as she looked at Brittany, motioning the dancer to turn around to take a complete look at her. Quinn then focused to Rachel who was still statue-like on her seat looking at the two former Cheerios.
Quinn smiled at Rachel, "You too, Berry. You're stunning."
Rachel could feel herself blush. No! My body is betraying me!
"Thank you, Quinn. You too, you look beautiful. As always," Rachel said in a very Rachel-Berry-with-her-guards-up tone.
"I am so calling work and I will tell them that one of my ducks died," Brittany said as she skipped towards her room.
"They think you have ducks?" Rachel asked finally taking her eyes off Quinn for the first time as she looked at Brittany.
"Yeah. I told them that I consider ducks as babies. So they will totally understand that if one them died, their duck sitter which is me will be mourning with their mother duck," Brittany explained.
Quinn and Rachel smiled fascinated at Brittany's enthusiasm. The taller blonde disappeared as she entered her room.
Silence. Rachel looked at Quinn, Quinn looked at Rachel.
Then, Brittany peeped out from her room and called on Quinn.
"Q."
Quinn, as well as Rachel, turned to Brittany.
"Yes, B?"
"I'm calling the cops," Brittany said playfully.
"Why?" Quinn asked.
She smiled her sweetest smile and said, "It's gotta be illegal to look that good!" Brittany declared then disappeared back inside her room laughing.
Unable to understand what just happened, Quinn turned to Rachel who also turned to her, "Was that a pick up line?"
Both girls fell into comfortable laughter. Thank you, Brit. You've saved me again.
For Chapter 8: A song will bring back memories to both Q and R. Hints of the past ladies and gents. :P
