A/N: As previously stated, I don't know if this adds anything to the story or not, but there was enough of an uproar for more that I opted to publish it. Hope you enjoy.

Coda

Quinn sits in the floor in between the stacks of the library. She's not sure how long she's been there but she knows that her butt hurts from the sitting on the thin carpet over a concrete floor. She could easily relocate to a nearby chair but that's sort of the opposite of what she's going for here. She's hiding. For as much as she feels stupid for doing it, she is still doing it. She has the library's copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland open on her lap reading it for what has to be at least the fiftieth time… the book itself, not necessarily this particular copy. It's kind of been her security blanket ever since she was little. Her therapist will probably call this regression or something. For the moment, Quinn just sees it as sparing her fragile sanity.

Quinn reads on, flipping pages quickly. She's a fast reader anyway but with Alice the actual book is almost a formality at this point. She knows the story by heart, if not all the exact words and phrases used.

She feels someone's gaze fall on her and while there's a handful of people who might have come looking for her, there's only one she truly suspects to have come. Sure enough a moment later, Rachel Berry settles into the floor next to her dragging out a book of her own, a weighty tome that Quinn recognizes as one of Rachel's New York City guidebooks. She's trying to commit as much of it to memory as possible before she moves so that she doesn't actually need them when she's there. Quinn sees her reading them constantly.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asks softly

Without looking up from her book Rachel replies, "Hanging out with my best friend. What are you doing here?"

"Reading," Quinn says.

"And also hiding," Rachel replies.

Quinn sighs and admits, "Um, yeah, that too."

"Okay," Rachel says nonchalantly, finally looking up, "Is it alright if I hide with you? I promise I won't disrupt your reading."

Quinn shuts her eyes and attempts to rub the tension out of her forehead. "Rachel," she says, "Why do you think I'm in here hiding, exactly? What do you think I'm hiding from?"

"I didn't wish to make assumptions," Rachel says, "I thought it could be to do with you starting therapy this morning. I know you have a tendency to be particularly defensive when unpleasant emotions are brought to light and therapy has a tendency to do that."

"Or?" Quinn prompts.

"Or you're avoiding me and/or Finn because of what's been dubbed 'The Kiss That Missed'," Rachel says, "But Quinn you have to know that I didn't want him to do that."

"Are you and Finn getting back together?"

"He wants to... obviously," Rachel says closing her book and setting it aside, "I told him I had to think about it. He was slightly upset about that. He was clearly hoping that some big, romantic gesture like that would be enough to win me back."

"And was it?"

"I'm not a prize to be won, Quinn," Rachel says rolling her eyes. Quinn sometimes forgets how much of a proud feminist Rachel can be at times... most of the time, actually, disrupted only occasionally by bouts of wanting a nose job to make a boy more interested in her. It's something Quinn's still learning to be herself, since feminist was a dirty word growing up in her house. "That being said," Rachel continues, "It's hard for me to not want him, both for who he is and for what he represents."

Quinn doesn't speak, instead waiting for something approximating an actual answer.

"I think I'm in the same place with him that you were earlier in the year," Rachel says, "Our relationship ended so very suddenly, I never got any sort of closure to it, and I very obviously still have feelings for him. Did you ever wind up getting any sort of resolution when you got back together with him?"

"I figured out that he would always choose you over me," Quinn said, "I figured out that I don't like being someone's consolation prize or revenge impulse."

"Revenge?" Rachel echoed, "You think he got back together with you to try to hurt me?"

"I don't think that he necessarily thought it that far through," Quinn clarifies, "I think that might be giving him far more credit for being devious than he deserves. You guys were just in a cycle of hurting one another and like I said, I think it was more instinctive than anything." There hangs a heavy silence for a moment. "I'm not trying to poison him in your eyes," Quinn clarifies, "If you... if... I'll deal, okay?"

"You'll deal? Seriously, Quinn?" Rachel asks, "You're hiding in the library to avoid just the possibility of seeing us together. You can't even say the words much less actually reconcile yourself to the notion of Finn and me dating again."

"Rachel," she sighs, "I just- I want you to be happy, okay? You've been there for me through everything and helped me so much, and if being with Finn is what will make you happy, then you should do that. I promise I'll find a way to be okay with it. I- You're my best friend and you should do what makes you happy. I want you to be happy."

Rachel scoots herself all the way against Quinn's side and rests her head on Quinn's shoulder. "Thank you, Quinn," Rachel says, "I want you to be happy too, so with that in mind I think I'm going to have find a way to let Finn down easily."

"Let him..." Quinn repeats, "Wait, so you're...?"

"Not getting back together with Finn?" Rachel finishes the sentence, "No, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it and our history is that we prioritize Finn over each another and as a result we spend more time apologizing to one another than we do just being friends and I'm sick of that." Rachel quickly popped her head back up. "And before you ask, this isn't about me waiting for you or anything like that."

"You're sure?" Quinn asks. "Because..."

"I made my peace with it, Quinn," Rachel confirms laying her head back down. "It's a simple objective measure. Our friendship is more important to me than any potential relationship with Finn, which let's face it, isn't going to last beyond graduation. Finn's never going to want to move to New York. My future and his are incompatible. You, even just as a friend, mean more to me than Finn does. You're the one who has stuck by me even when I tried my best to make you leave. You're the one to talk me out of a nose job. You're the one I turn to in times of trouble. Put in simple terms, you are my person."

The passion and conviction with which Rachel delivers the speech make Quinn smile even as she rolls her eyes. "You know I don't watch that show. I don't know what that statement means, but you don't have to make this sacrifice for me."

"I just told you what it means and I know, you said that you'd find a way to deal," Rachel says lifting her head to look at Quinn as she speaks, "But for me it's not worth risking it. Being with Finn isn't worth even the chance that he might come between us... again. Now if you would please, I'd like to drop this subject. My decision is made. How did therapy go? Do you like your doctor?"

"I do," Quinn says, "Dr. Gilmore seems to be the right balance of being professional without seeming completely detached, you know?"Rachel nods. "She's smart and funny and seems insightful, although I guess that last one is sort of a job requirement."

"Good, I'm glad," Rachel says with a smile, "You know I'm proud of you, right?"

Quinn blushes and looks down at her lap, "I know, and I know that just in going that I'm making progress, but today was really simple stuff, all just background. Although there was one thing..."

"Quinn, I just want to interrupt you here to say that therapy is private and you don't have to tell me anything that you discuss unless you want to."

"I want to," Quinn says quickly. "We were talking about plans for the future and she asked about college and I just kind of brushed it off saying I'd probably wind up at OSU Lima, but she gave me a homework assignment to really sit and think about what I'd want to do if I could go anywhere. I've been going over it in my head. I have the 4.0 GPA, the extra-curriculars, the inspiring personal essay… and I have access to the money. I- I think I want to try for an Ivy. What do you think about Yale?"

Rachel's face lights up like a Christmas tree at Quinn. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Quinn! Although, I might be slightly happier still if you'd said Columbia, but Yale is an amazing school. New Haven isn't that far from New York either, less than 90 miles I think." There's a short silent moment between them before Rachel just flings her arms around Quinn who is startled at the reaction but not as much as she once would have been. "God, Quinn, I can't believe how excited it makes me hear you building your own dream. And might I say that this seems much more you than 'prom queen-turned-real estate agent'?"

"Thank you," Quinn says and pauses a moment before asking, "Do you think I can get in?"

"Do I... get in?" Rachel repeats incredulously, pushing back from the hug, shaking her head slightly, "Quinn, I've told you before, you're the smartest person I know. Yale will be lucky to have you."

Quinn bites her bottom lip and smiles, "Thank you, Rachel. Thank you for never giving up on me no matter how hard I tried to make you."

"Of course," Rachel says, "You're my person."

"I still don't know what that means," Quinn says.

The End


Yes, I left them unrequited. Yes, this is really the end. This was always supposed to be short and sweet and I've at least managed the first half of that description. Where this version of Quinn and Rachel go from here is up to you, gentle readers. Do they stay as they are, dear friends? Do they go off to college and Quinn realizes she the gigantic lesbian that she is in canon? Entirely up to your minds.