Disclaimer: I still own nothing
When Rachel arrived to pick up Quinn the next morning, the blonde was intent on giving her a hard time. "So, now that you've slept on it…you must divulge your secrets to me now."
"Secrets? I only promised you one."
"Logistics." Quinn sing-songed.
"I brought you a peace offering." Rachel replied as she pulled Simba from behind her back.
"It's not a peace offering if you already promised to trade him with me."
"Logistics." Rachel teased back earning an eye roll from the blonde.
Judy was watching the entire scene with amusement.
Quinn grabbed at the lion, but Rachel swiftly pulled it away. "No way…show me the merchandise first."
"You make it sound like a drug deal." Quinn pouted.
"This is a serious transaction. What if I just hand him over and you turn out to be a scallywag?"
Judy snorted.
"Scallywag? Is that even the correct usage…what am I saying…who even uses that word anymore?" Quinn tried not to smile.
"Rachel Barbara Berry does, now go get Lucy…Lucy." The brunette smirked proudly.
Quinn stuck her tongue out petulantly as she went to her bedroom to retrieve her stuffed lamb. When she returned to the living room, she replied. "Okay, on the count of three."
"I think your mom should count, to make things fair."
"For crying out loud!" Quinn groaned in fake annoyance, in truth she was enjoying the banter.
"Okay." Judy smiled as she finally joined the conversation. "On the count of three. One. Two."
Both girls grabbed for the opposite toy with a smile. When the lamb was firmly in Rachel's hands, she pouted. "You cheated!"
"You've got to be kidding me." Quinn smirked as she ran her fingers through the lion's mane.
"I hate to interrupt, but you girls have been arguing for the last ten minutes and you'll be late for school if you don't get going." Judy mentioned, hoping to be the voice of reason.
"Let me put my lion in my bedroom, I'll be right back." Quinn answered with a teasing tone.
"What was that Lucy?"
"I said…" Quinn began but was interrupted.
"Not you, I was talking to my lamb." Rachel replied.
"You girls are incorrigible." Judy threw her hands in the air in defeat and went to her bedroom to get ready for work.
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When Quinn arrived in the choir room that afternoon, she immediately noticed the hushed argument taking place between Rachel and Finn. Quinn tried not to appear glued to the sight as she made her way to the opposite she of the room where some of the others were gathered.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"Finn mentioned something about making reservations for Prom next week and Rachel went off on him. They've been arguing ever since." Kurt explained.
"About what?"
"Rachel hates that he assumed they were going together even though he never officially asked her." Tina added.
"She said she hadn't even planned on going to Prom and that if he would have talked to her about it rather than assuming like an ass…" Mercedes continued until a snort from Quinn interrupted her.
They looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Did we miss something?"
Quinn wiped the smirk off her face as she tried to fight the memories of her conversation with Rachel yesterday; the first time she ever heard the brunette swear. "Sorry, go on."
"Finn's mad because he thinks that as a couple it should have been understood that they'd go to Prom together and when he found out she didn't even want to go, he complained that she never wants to do anything anymore." Kurt finished.
"What's up with dumb and dumber?" Santana asked as she joined them.
Quinn scowled at her for insulting Rachel but the Latina didn't seem to notice.
"I'm not blaming you!" Rachel's voice got louder.
"Then why are you being so…crazy all the time?" Finn yelled back.
"Oh no he didn't." Santana muttered as she stood up but was pulled back down by Quinn.
"Maybe I am crazy, Finn. Ever think of that?" Rachel's voice was substantially lower than it had been previously.
His shoulders dropped. "I didn't mean that."
"But…you said it."
"Rachel."
"I don't know what's wrong with me, okay? I love you Finn…" Rachel paused, and Quinn's heart nearly ripped in half at the admittance. "But I can't look at you without feeling physical pain. And when you…when you try to make us go on as if nothing happened…I…" She sighed, turning away from him for the first time and noticed that they had an audience. She held Quinn's gaze for a second before turning back toward Finn. "When I think about a future with you…all I see is that the day that should have been the happiest day of my life…became the worst day of my life."
Rachel walked away without another word, and without looking back.
"You just broke up with me, didn't you?" Finn called after her.
Rachel paused in the doorway briefly before nodding ever so slightly and disappearing from sight.
Quinn sat there in shock. Rachel's words rolled around in her head. What did it all mean? She was brought back to reality when someone nudged her. She looked up to see her friends staring at her in encouragement.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get your girl." Santana whispered.
"San, making a move right now would turn me into a giant douchebag."
Santana rolled her eyes. "What difference does that make if you get the girl?"
"Santana." Quinn growled.
The blonde sighed, shook her head and started wheeling away. She was about to exit the room when she saw Finn's teary eyes following her. After taking a deep breath, she changed directions and headed toward the boy.
"Are you okay?"
He huffed. "Do you like it when people ask you that question when it's obvious that you aren't?"
"You're right. I didn't mean to sound patronizing."
He stared at her blankly.
"I didn't mean to offend you." She explained and he nodded at her.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"You can go after her." Finn said quietly. "I know you want to."
She didn't answer.
"I know I lost her a while ago…" He was trying to find the words he wanted to say. "When the accident happened…she cried every night the whole while you were unconscious. Three whole weeks I held her. Then the crying stopped but she still walked around like a zombie, you know?" He paused again, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I hated seeing her like that…and now that she is happier…I just really wanted to hold on. She's amazing and to lose her…"
Quinn found herself instinctively reaching for his hand as she took it in her own. "I know."
"I was being selfish though, I know that…I used to make her happy but I don't anymore." He looked her straight in the eye. "All I want is for her to be happy…even if it isn't with me."
Quinn swallowed thickly because it sounded like Finn Hudson was giving her permission to pursue Rachel. Tears pricked at her eyes. "I understand completely…I was on my way to attend a wedding that…"
"I know." He sighed, squeezing her hand in his. "She waited for you."
Quinn's face must have appeared as confused as she felt because Finn felt the need to continue. "That day…I told her that we had run out of time and we needed to start the wedding or we'd lose our spot. And instead of taking my hand and heading to the ceremony, she turned around to text you one last time."
Quinn's eyes watered as she let her tears freely fall.
"I don't think she realized it at the time, or even now…but she chose you." Finn said gently as he reached over and wiped her wet cheeks with his thumb. And as thankful as Quinn was for the gesture, she couldn't help comparing his hands to Rachel's. And everything about him was…wrong.
"Thank you." She whispered with a shaky breath.
"If you make Rachel happy again…that will be thanks enough." He said it with such sincerity that Quinn believed him. But there was something else in his voice as well…he seemed relieved. He had done a lot to keep Rachel together and now he got to rest and let someone else do it. And it was easier than he thought it would be, because he knew Rachel would be in good hands.
The rest of the kids were walking in the room as Quinn left in search of Rachel. It didn't take her long, since the diva was in the first place she looked. She was sitting on the floor in the middle of the stage in the auditorium. Sitting alone in the darkened room made the brunette look even smaller than she normally was.
"Did you draw the short straw?" Rachel asked bitterly as Quinn approached.
"You know that's not true, Rach."
The brunette was silent, except for a few sniffles. Quinn reached the front row and was looking for a way to get on stage. How did Artie normally do it? She was drawing a blank at the moment. Rachel must have noticed so she stood up and walked to the end of the stage. She sat down and let her feet dangle over the edge.
"What if I am broken like he said…or worse…crazy?" Rachel asked quietly.
Quinn rolled closer to the stage, grabbing both of Rachel's feet and stilling them. "Do you believe you are?"
Rachel was quiet for a bit longer before she sighed. "I don't know. I've been so confused lately. I don't know what's going on with me and I don't understand it and I can't explain it. I…"
"Tell me a secret." Quinn replied.
Brown eyes burrowed into her before looking away. "A secret, huh?"
Quinn ran her hands from Rachel's feet to her bare calves, noticing goosebumps appear on the girl's skin and feeling heat on her own.
"I slept with Finn…"
Quinn swallowed back the bile that had made it up her throat at the thought of them together. She growled as she spoke. "That's not really a secret, Rachel."
"You didn't let me finish." Rachel replied gently, barely above a whisper.
Quinn had to lean closer to hear her, her hands now on Rachel's bare knees. The blonde nodded for Rachel to continue, though she dreaded what she might have to hear.
"I was going to take your advice and wait…but then he was feeling so depressed. He didn't think he'd get into Ohio State or go anywhere with his football and I felt so bad for him."
"Pity sex." Quinn breathed out shakily.
Rachel barely nodded as she spoke again. "I cried afterwards. Hell, if I'm being honest I cried during." She sighed loudly before continuing. "I planned on telling him no, when he proposed…but I hadn't heard from NYADA and I starting thinking that even if I lost my dream…that if I married Finn…I wouldn't have to be alone."
Quinn took a deep, shaky breath. "Rachel…"
"And then with what happened to Dave…we rushed things and we shouldn't have…if we had been…if I had been thinking…your accident didn't have to happen, Quinn. You were hurrying to a wedding that should never have been taking place. So you see…it's all my fault." She burst into tears as soon as she finished and Quinn wrapped her arms around Rachel's legs and hugged them to her chest.
"It sounds like you've made some…mistakes. But Rachel, you're looking at the Queen of making mistakes. I have no room to judge…nor would I." Then she leaned down and placed a soft, opened mouth kiss to each of Rachel's kneecaps. She began speaking again, ignoring the tingle on her lips at the memory of Rachel's skin caressing her lips. "And as I have told you before, the accident was not your fault."
Rachel jumped off the stage and into Quinn's lap, nearly knocking them both to the ground. The brunette was holding Quinn as tightly as she could. "Thank you!"
All Quinn could do was hug her back. They decided to skip the rest of glee and Rachel took her home. Before they left, Quinn shot a message to their friends about their change of plans. When they got to Quinn's house, they went directly into the blonde's bedroom and Rachel collapsed on her bed, grabbing her stuffed lion and holding him to her chest.
Quinn watched the girl silently weep for a minute or two before speaking. "I wasn't going to go to Prom because I didn't want to be reminded of all the things I could no longer do."
"Quinn…" Rachel whimpered.
"But I think we should go. I think that we will both regret it if we don't. Someone once told me that this is our year to get it right. So what do you say? Let's go with our friends, have fun and enjoy our last few weeks of high school before we leave Lima and our real life begins."
Rachel sat up and stared thoughtfully at the blonde. "I don't have a dress."
Quinn smirked. "Neither do I. My Mom already offered to take me shopping this weekend, why don't you tag along?"
"I don't know."
"It's our Senior Prom, Rachel." The blonde added cheerfully. "Besides, I need new pictures if I want to decorate my dorm room at Yale properly."
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "How dare you use my vanity against me, Fabray."
Quinn giggled at Rachel's dramatics. "Is that a 'yes'?"
"Yes." Rachel rolled her eyes and tossed her stuffed toy at the girl. Quinn caught it and hugged it tightly. Rachel smiled at the action.
They were silent for a moment.
"Does your mom know your gay, Quinn?"
The blonde's eyes widened at the sudden change of topic. "What?" Quinn choked out.
"Have you come out at all yet?" Rachel rephrased the question.
"Mom knows. And Kurt and Santana sort of figured it out…gaydar and all."
Rachel nodded. "Was it difficult?"
"I was terrified."
"Are you ever scared that what will happen to Dave will happen to you?"
"Kurt and Santana were also bullied when they came out. It happens Rachel, especially in closed minded towns like ours. But ask any of them and they'll tell you that no longer hiding that part of you…it's…freeing. That's the best way I can describe it."
"I'm proud of you."
"I didn't do anything."
"I'm proud of you because you think you didn't do anything."
Quinn's brows furrowed as she tried to understand but failed to.
"You don't realize how amazing you are, Quinn. How effortlessly beautiful you are. I know you think you had to change what you looked like to be considered beautiful…but I'm not just talking about the way you look. You're soul…god, I'm rambling and I'm sorry."
Quinn ducked her head shyly as her face turned crimson. She didn't even try to hide the smile the split her face in two. "Thank you, Rachel." She looked up, sure to lock eyes with the brown ones that were staring at her. "You're not so bad yourself."
Rachel laughed out loud. "Wow, Quinn, we really should work on your compliments. I wouldn't mind having my ego stroked every once in awhile."
Quinn's breathing stopped as very inappropriate visuals of stroking more than just Rachel's ego popped into her dirty mind. She forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat as she looked everywhere but at the girl in front of her.
After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, Rachel announced. "Well, I should get going. Last day of my unjust grounding, I want to make a good impression before I ask them to let me go dress shopping with you."
A lopsided grin appeared on the brunette's face and it melted Quinn's heart. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
When Judy got home that evening, Quinn surprised her by having a frozen pizza already in the oven.
"Rachel's already gone?" Judy asked as she walked in to the kitchen.
"Yup."
"Did you girls have another stupid fight about your stuffed animals or something?"
"No, Mom."
Judy nodded, though she didn't quite believe her. Quinn was in the process of putting silverware on the table. Judy grabbed some plates and started to assist in making the table. Quinn smiled at her and then said. "Oh, and I need you to take me and Rachel dress shopping tomorrow."
"For Prom?" Judy asked teasingly. "I see you changed your mind."
"Rachel and I are going as friends."
"What about Finn?"
"They broke up."
Judy nodded in understanding. "So, operation woo Rachel Berry is a go?"
"Not yet Mom…she just broke up with him. But don't worry; I will use some of the Fabray charm on her."
"Honey, the Fabray's never really had charm. You get yours from my side of the family."
Quinn snorted as Judy grinned. Judy loved seeing her daughter so happy.
A/N: They finally broke up! I tried to make Finn a decent guy in this, I am wondering what you think about him. Also, glad so many of you enjoy the lion/lamb bit because it does continue throughout the story.
Up next, dress shopping with Judy, more Nicci and lots of Faberry :)
