Disclaimer: All original Glee characters belong to the creators. Everyone else is mine unless stated otherwise.

Hello again, lovelies.


8 years ago.

Before everything fell apart...

Ever since she had moved into her dorm room at Yale and settled into college life, there had been one particular question on Rachel's lips every single time they talked on the phone or had one of their occasional Skype calls.

When are you going to visit?

She had heard that very phrase at least a hundred times in the weeks following the beginning of her first semester at the Ivy League school. Rachel kept talking about the amazing things that they could do in the city, and each time they talked, the brunette had a different set of activities planned out for them for when the blonde would finally take the train up to the Big Apple.

It's not that Quinn didn't want to visit, because she did. Ever since they had begun a tentative friendship at the end of senior year after all the drama of the years prior, all she wanted to do was strengthen the bond between her and Rachel so their friendship could develop into something concrete.

After all, she had been the one to buy the Metro passes because she had wanted them to keep in touch. They had spent the better part of their high school years fighting over petty things like boys, only to finally become friends towards the end of their last year.

She wasn't about to let that go to waste, not after the promises they had made to each other in the bathroom before graduation.

So yes, she wanted to visit Rachel. She really did.

But college was infinitely more fast paced than high school and the blonde found herself to be incredibly busy, spending her evenings pouring over notes and heavy textbooks.

Although she managed to still find time to call Rachel once in a while, and the brunette finally convinced her to use those train tickets and come up for a weekend when her course load had diminished slightly and she could afford two days off from doing homework without the risk of falling behind in her studies.

Which is why she now found herself stepping off of a crowded train at Grand Central Station, a small duffel bag slung over her shoulder as she stood on the platform, wearing a simple navy dress with stockings because summer had slipped into fall and it was getting chillier outside as the days went on. She was wearing a matching cardigan and kept picking at the buttons as she looked around the bustling station for the familiar face she had been longing to see for weeks now.

The tiny brunette who loved to serenade her over Skype and text her a million times a day to make sure she was eating well and getting enough sleep.

Honestly she was touched by how much Rachel seemed to care about her.

The brunette had always cared, really. But this was the first time that she was actually letting her. It felt nice.

She had just started walking towards a bench, where she could see that there was a free spot between an elderly lady and a young business man, she just had to get there before someone else in the busy train station snatched it up. But before she could get there, she felt something small and warm running into her back with an excited squeal, and just as tanned arms wrapped themselves around her waist to hug her tightly, the smell of familiar perfume hit her nostrils and her lips curved into a wide smile.

Rachel.

"You found me...", the blonde said softly before turning around to be met with the sight of a beaming Rachel Berry, who was holding the most adorable little cardboard sign with her name on it in beautiful flowing letters and...glitter?

She did her famous brow arch upon seeing the sign and couldn't help but snort quietly in amusement. "Really, Rach? A sign?",she asked with a small smirk.

The brunette's cheeks turned a nice red color as Rachel ducked her head and bit her lip shyly with a shrug, looking down at her handmade sign.

"Too much? I've always wanted to do that. Like in the movies.",she said softly with a timid smile as she looked up at Quinn through her lashes and the blonde swore she swooned a little.

Wait, what?

Clearing her throat, she shook off that feeling and gave the small girl a gentle smile.

"It's perfect, Rachel. Thank you...And thank you for meeting me here. It's so crowded, I think I would have gotten lost. I'm surprised you were even able to see me over all these tall people.", she said with a teasing smile as they moved out of the way of camera bearing tourists snapping pictures of everything in sight.

She couldn't help but chuckle as the brunette narrowed her eyes at her and huffed softly with an eyeroll that was so Rachel Berry that for a moment, she thought she was back in the halls of McKinley before one of the diva's infamous rants.

"That's an incredibly rude thing to say to someone who's giving you a place to stay for the weekend. Maybe I should make you sleep on the floor.",she said with a raised brow as she crossed her arms over her chest. Another Rachel move.

But Quinn only grinned at her and shook her head in amusement, gently putting a hand on Rachel's crossed arms to pry them apart. "Rach, come on. You know I was just kidding. You're not that tiny. Besides, I can't sleep on the floor because of my back. I'd have to go see a physiotherapist all over again.",she muttered as she adjusted the bag slung over her shoulder.

She winced when she saw the color momentarily drain from the brunette's face as her eyes widened in horror. Rachel knew she had done a lot of physiotherapy after her accident, for which the girl still occasionally blamed herself despite how many times Quinn told her it was her own fault for texting while driving and accidentally running a stop sign.

Sighing heavily, she looped an arm through Rachel's and gently began to tug her towards what she assumed was the exit. "Don't make that face. I'm fine. You know that.",she said with a reassuring smile as they walked.

Rachel frowned slightly but decided not to say anything on the subject. She just turned them around to walk in the opposite direction, shrugging when Quinn looked at her quizzically.

"You were going the wrong way.",she said simply as Quinn blushed.

She really had no idea where she was going.


Twenty minutes and one cab ride later, Quinn was dropping her bag on the floor of Rachel's loft apartment, yawning tiredly.

She was exhausted from getting up early to hand in some assignments and do some last minute homework, and then getting on the train to New York, where she couldn't nap because of all the noise and chattering.

And the crowded streets of Manhattan tired her out. The city wasn't like New Haven. It was loud and lively and full of tourists, unlike the cozy, quaint college town she was now used to.

To be honest, she kind of just wanted to change into some sweatpants and relax for the rest of the day, but she knew very well that she couldn't do that.

Rachel had spent weeks trying to make her visit and she was only here for two days. She wasn't about to spend one of them napping and staying in when there was a whole new world to see outside.

And there was no way that Rachel would let her stay in. She'd probably drag her out of the loft if she had to.

Luckily, Rachel was prepared for a tired Quinn and knew just how to pep her right back up.

"Sit down and make yourself at home. I'll make you some coffee.",the brunette said cheerfully before disappearing to the kitchen.

Or well, kitchen area.

The loft was pretty much one big open space, with dividers here and there and the only real room being the bathroom (thank god).

There was a slightly worn but comfy looking couch in the living room, which Quinn happily plopped down onto with a soft sigh as she leaned against it and stretched slightly.

Even though she had completely recovered from her aforementioned accident, her muscles still ached from time to time and it felt nice to sit down.

A few minutes later, Rachel walked into the living room with a steaming mug and Quinn inhaled the strong scent of coffee with a delightful smile as she reached out for it.

"Here you go, dear.", Rachel said in a playful tone and Quinn felt herself blush faintly as she took a small sip and hummed in content.

"Hazelnut...My favorite. How did you know?",she asked curiously as she licked her lips, putting the mug down on the small coffee table.

Rachel just smiled at her and shrugged lightly, leaning back against the arm of the couch, facing Quinn. "Those few times when you actually talk instead of just listening to me on the phone or Skype, you mention things from time to time and I remember. You said that you started drinking hazelnut flavored coffee because the cafe next to your dorm served it and it became your favorite."

Quinn raised her brows in surprise at the fact that Rachel had actually remembered something so trivial that she had probably mentioned in passing weeks ago without much thought.

No one else would have remembered a small detail like her favorite coffee. But of course, Rachel did.

And not for the first time, she felt a small fluttering in her chest.

But she tried to ignore it, swallowing thickly as she gave the brunette a small smile before changing the subject.

"So where's Kurt?",she asked as she glanced around the loft once again. She had forgotten about the brunette's roommate until now, but hadn't seen him since they had arrived, so she figured that he wasn't there, because obviously he would have come out and greeted her already if he was.

Rachel didn't seem fazed by the change in subject and smiled as she smoothed out the hem of her dark skirt. "He went back to Lima for the weekend, actually. He wanted to visit his dad and Carole. So...It's just us two for the weekend.", she added quietly, looking up at her through those dark lashes again with a shy smile. "Is that okay?"

Quinn felt her lips go dry and briefly licked them before clearing her throat and smiling softly with a slight nod as she reached for her mug of coffee again to lubricate her equally dry throat. "Yeah, yeah...Of course it's okay. I mean, I kind of came here for you, so...",she shrugged.

She watched Rachel out of the corner of her eye as the girl rose both of her brows at her words, a timid smile forming on those pouty lips of hers. "You...came here for me? Really?",the brunette asked in a quiet tone as she gnawed on her bottom lip, observing Quinn intently.

Quinn on the other hand, simply quirked a brow at her and tilted her head slightly at the question. She thought it was obvious. She had come up because Rachel had wanted her to. Yeah, Kurt was her friend but she didn't mind one bit that he wasn't here. She was here to see Rachel so they could strengthen their budding friendship and start what would hopefully be a string of visits.

Hopefully being the key word, since she was so unbelievably busy.

"Of course I came here for you, Rachel...I meant what I said when I bought us those Metro passes. I want us to keep in touch. We only truly became friends at the end of senior year and then we both had to move away for school, but I don't want to lose what we started. You're an amazing person and a great friend. You've always been there for me no matter what, even when I was a complete ass. So when we actually became friends, I promised myself that I wouldn't let that go to waste just because we live in different cities. This friendship means a lot to me, and...so do you.",she admitted with a soft smile.

For a while, Rachel didn't say anything, but her cheeks were bright red. They stared at each other intently, chocolate orbs gazing into golden pools.

There was so much warmth in Rachel's eyes and she tried to ignore that stupid fluttering in her chest that kept showing up every now and then.

She ignored it because it had been happening more and more lately and she didn't know what it meant.

And honestly, she was scared to find out what it meant too.

So she pretended that the fluttering wasn't there and eventually broke Rachel's stare to keep sipping on her coffee before it got cold.

"You mean a lot to me too, Quinn. I'm happy that you're finally giving this friendship a chance...", Rachel said a few seconds later, putting a hand on Quinn's knee and squeezing it gently before pulling it away.

But Quinn felt the touch linger for moments after as she inhaled sharply before flashing the girl a soft, gentle smile. A smile she couldn't help but have around Rachel and her calming presence.

"We're going somewhere tonight.", the blonde said simply before she stood up and walked over to her duffel bag that was still at the door, leaving Rachel to look at her curiously from her spot on the couch.

"We are...?",Rachel asked with a raised eyebrow, watching the girl intently. "Wait, where are we going exactly? Because I was kind of hoping that I could take you on a tour of the city. There are so many things that we can do, Quinn! So many things you have to see. I found this cafe that you'd love on 35th and-..."

Quinn turned around with a small smile, holding her hand up to effectively cut her off, chuckling as Rachel's rambling died down with a small pout.

"We can do all of those things tomorrow, I promise. You can show me around the city, and take me to all these places you think I'd like. We can even do all the cliché touristy things if you want. We can do all of that. But tonight, I want you to get all dressed up because I'm taking you somewhere. Think of it as an early birthday present.", the blonde said with a playful grin as she lifted up her bag.

Rachel stared at her, slightly surprised before she narrowed her eyes. "Quinn, my birthday is in December."

But Quinn simply smirked and flashed her a playful wink. "Precisely why it's called an early birthday present, princess. Now go get ready. You have two hours!",she said before she disappeared into Kurt's vacant room so she could get ready there and give Rachel her privacy.

Sure, she had seen undressed girls before because she was on the Cheerios and witnessed girls walking around naked all the time. But this was different. This was Rachel... And they were alone.

As she closed the curtain to Kurt's room, she left Rachel still sitting on the couch, blushing at the fact that Quinn had called her princess and incredibly intrigued as to where on Earth they were going.


Two hours later, Quinn could hear Rachel softly singing to herself in the bathroom while she sat on the couch reading a book she had brought along.

An actual book, not a textbook. She had promised herself not to do any homework that weekend.

She had finished getting ready almost twenty minutes ago and was now sitting there wearing a form fitting green dress that stopped mid thigh with some tasteful flats, her now shoulder length hair brushed and neatly pinned to the side. Nothing too fancy, but yet just fancy enough for where they were going.

It was an idea that she had come up with a few days before she was meant to come and visit Rachel. She knew that the brunette probably had a ton of things planned for them, but she wanted to do something special for her on her first night there, despite the fact that she was the guest.

Rachel deserved it, after everything she had done for her over the years. It was Quinn's way of saying thank you because she hadn't exactly said it when they were in high school. Or said it enough.

She just hoped that Rachel would like what she had planned for them. She was incredibly nervous. It almost felt like she was getting ready for a date...

That thought alone was enough to make a knot form in the pit of her stomach, but all her thoughts went flying out the window as she heard the bathroom door open and looked up, inhaling sharply at the sight she was greeted with.

Rachel.

Rachel wearing a curve hugging black dress with matching heels, her hair down in loose curls.

God damn...

"Is this what you meant by getting all dressed up?", the brunette asked with a shy smile as she tucked some hair behind her ear, shuffling on the spot as she smoothed down the front of her dress. She was blushing.

But Quinn didn't even remember how to formulate words let alone speak, because she was still staring at the beautiful goddess that had just emerged from the bathroom.

Wait...What was she saying? Goddess?

Gulping lightly, she swallowed hard and took a deep breath as she stood up, smoothing down her own dress. "Y-Yeah...That's exactly what I meant. You look great, Rachel...Beautiful.",she murmured honestly as she grabbed her purse, trying to calm the feeling in her stomach as she slowly walked to the door.

But Rachel was frozen in her spot, simply staring at her. So Quinn stopped and looked at her over her shoulder, quirking an eyebrow at her. "What?",she asked curiously. "Is there something on my face?",she chuckled lowly.

"You called me beautiful...", Rachel said slowly in awe.

Quinn felt her own cheeks turn pink as she rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged casually, opening the door and gesturing for Rachel to follow her.

"I'm just being honest, Rach...Come on, we don't want to be late."

"Where are we going?", Rachel asked as she grabbed her own purse in case she would need it and followed the blonde out of the loft, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Quinn didn't answer that. She simply grinned at her as they stepped into the elevator and headed for the ground floor.

"Out.",she said simply.

Quinn didn't answer any more of Rachel's questions regarding where they were going as they hailed a cab and slipped in. Quinn told the driver the address and smiled at the fact that Rachel couldn't recognize it by the address alone.

She didn't think that the brunette had ever been there, anyway. But she knew that she would love it. It was one of the most beautiful places in the city, in her opinion. Even if she hadn't been there herself.

When they arrived, Quinn quickly paid the driver and wished him a good night before she stepped out of the cab to open the door for Rachel, helping her out by gently taking her hand, which she released after the brunette had both feet planted on the ground.

Then she stepped back and watched as the brunette looked up and raised her brows, surprised at where they were.

It wasn't what she had been expecting, not at all.

New York Botanical Garden.

"The Botanical Garden?", Rachel asked curiously as she looked over at Quinn, who simply grinned at her and began leading her up the pathway to the entrance.

"Yep. The Botanical Garden.", she nodded, her smile never wavering as she took out a pair of tickets from her purse. She had been able to order them online and print them out after hearing about the event that would be happening that night.

Rachel kept staring at the blonde, waiting for an explanation as to why they were here. She glanced at the tickets in Quinn's hand, but couldn't see what was written on them because the blonde had them flipped over.

"Aren't we a bit over dressed to be here?", Rachel asked as they reached the entrance, looking down at her dress self-consciously.

But Quinn shook her head at her, smiling even wider as she opened the door for her. "Not at all..."

The Botanical Garden was hosting a concert inside, and when Quinn had read about it online, she knew it was the perfect place to bring Rachel to. Again, she wanted to do something special for her and she had a feeling that this would be just the thing. Music was one of Rachel's passions.

As she lead the girl inside, she handed her one of the tickets and watched intently as Rachel read the front of it before her eyes lit up in surprise. "A concert?", she asked softly with a grin as she looked around. There was a stage and beautiful lights were strewn up. And there were people all around them, chatting and waiting for the music to start, wearing clothes just as semi-formal as theirs.

Quinn was relieved at Rachel's smile and nodded slightly as she gently put a hand on Rachel's back and lead her forward so they could hand their tickets to an attendant, who handed them a small leaflet on the group that was performing as well as what pieces they were going to play. "I wanted us to tour the garden, but it's much warmer in here.",she chuckled lowly, smiling down at her. "And I think you're going to like this...",she said even though she was chewing her bottom lip nervously.

The group that was performing wasn't your traditional American band or jazz group.

"I know you told me that you've always wanted to visit Italy because your grandparents are from there and you have family over there.", Quinn murmured softly, earning her a brow raise from Rachel as the girl wondered where she was going with this. "And you said that you remembered when you were a kid and sitting on your grandfather's knee before her passed away, listening to the records he had brought with him from Italy..."

"Quinn, where are you going with this exactly?", Rachel asked with a curious smile as they walked closer to the stage area, where people were beginning to assemble.

Quinn grinned at her just as the lights dimmed and the people around them clapped lightly. "Would you believe me if I said that I found an Italian music group? It's part of the Garden's international music event...These guys play classical and jazz. Just like your grandfather listened to.", she said softly, waiting to see Rachel's reaction.

But the brunette seemed to be stunned because she was just staring at her with wide eyes, her mouth opening and closing a few times. The music was starting, and it was beautiful. But Rachel was still staring at her, those deep brown eyes full of joy and...something else she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Quinn,I...I can't believe you would do something like that for me. I can't even believe that you remembered me saying that...I didn't think you were listening. We were on Skype and I was rambling while you were doing your homework...", Rachel said softly, still completely amazed that the blonde had done this for her.

Reaching down between them, Quinn gently squeezed Rachel's hand and lingered for a moment before she let go, smiling sweetly at her as she directed her attention to the band. "I listen to every single thing you tell me, Rach. And I remember all of it.",she murmured softly.

Her words were mostly drowned out by the sound of the music, but that was perfectly fine because the wide smile on Rachel's lips and the nostalgic look in her eyes as she happily swayed along to the rhythm of the music told her that she had made the right choice in bringing her here.

This was special enough. And she was proud of herself for being the one to put that smile on Rachel's face.

The first few songs passed and Quinn simply stood back slightly and watched as Rachel was mesmerized, watching the group play.

She didn't understand a thing, but she knew that Rachel understood some of it, judging by the grin on her face at some of the lyrics.

It was a few more minutes before Rachel looked back at her and Quinn was surprised to find that the brunette's eyes were filled with tears. She immediately took a step closer and frowned in concern, thinking that something was wrong. "What is it? What's wrong, Rach? Do you want to go?",she asked worriedly as she tried to think about what would have her upset.

But Rachel just shook her head and gave her a wide, teary smile before pulling her into a tight embrace, resting her chin on her shoulder. "Nothing's wrong, Quinn. This is perfect, I...It's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me. Thank you so much. Just being here...It reminds me of my grandfather and being with him. I feel like a little girl again. It's amazing. Thank you.",she repeated softly before pulling back and kissing her cheek tenderly as a thank you.

This time Quinn couldn't ignore the fluttering in her chest no matter how hard she tried. She felt her cheeks turn red and could still feel Rachel's lips on her skin as she smiled shyly, glad that Rachel's attention was once again focused on the Italian music group so she wouldn't see that she was blushing like an idiot.

And freaking out internally.

She had never blushed so much around Rachel before,and her heart had never done that rapid fluttery thing.

What does this mean?

It scared the crap out of her and made her palms sweat and her pulse quicken, but the delighted smile on Rachel's face made her push those terrifying feelings aside because after all the crap she had done in high school, and then the time she had put in trying to build a friendship with Rachel, she had finally been able to give her something special and put a big smile on her face.

Fluttering be damned, she would deal with that later.

For now, she would just stand back and watch as Rachel swayed and hummed along to the soft, joyful music in a language that she didn't understand but found beautiful nonetheless.

She vowed then and there that she wanted to make Rachel smile like that again.

She also wanted to take Rachel back to the garden someday, so they could see the beautiful outside and she could watch Rachel stroll among the gorgeous flowers and plants.


Present day.

Putting the pieces back together...

Quinn was nervous.

Actually, nervous was an understatement. She was freaking out.

The previous night while they were speaking on the phone after Rachel had agreed to give her a second chance and allow her back into her life, Quinn had asked her if she could take her to the place where it had all started. Their first ever outing together when Quinn had visited her for the first time all those years ago.

And to her surprise, Rachel had said yes.

Which is why Quinn was currently standing in front of Rachel's apartment door, practically hyperventilating.

She had successfully gotten someone to cover the rest of her shift at the hospital, with a promise that she would do extra overtime for a month if she had to, and was now standing outside in the hall wearing a blue dress instead of blue scrubs and was anxiously picking at her cuticles as she waited for Rachel to answer the door.

This was her shot at being Rachel's friend again, and she sure as hell wasn't going to screw it up this time. This was her one and only chance, and she wanted to make that night as special as the first time.

A few moments after she had knocked,the door opened and Quinn braced herself as she slowly looked up.

Her reaction was pretty much the same as it was that time Rachel had come out of the bathroom in her loft, looking like some kind of goddess.

Again, Quinn couldn't formulate words.

She just stared, her mouth hanging open slightly.

Rachel was wearing a gorgeous red dress, and Quinn felt her knees weaken as her gaze traveled down to those mile long legs and she gulped lightly.

"Quinn?", Rachel asked quietly, making the blonde snap her gaze up as she blushed bright red and smiled shyly.

"H-Hi, um...Wow, you look...You look...",she fumbled with her words, frowning at herself.

"You look beautiful too, Quinn.", the brunette murmured, closing the door behind her as they headed downstairs and outside to catch a cab.

Quinn always knew she'd be taking Rachel back to the Botanical Garden some day.

She just didn't think that someday would be a couple years short of a decade later.

Second chances...They were a beautiful thing.


xxx

So this chapter was from Quinn's POV, the next chapter is going to be from Rachel's POV.

My original idea for the first place they went together was going to be like a Broadway show, but that would have been so cliché...

Please be kind and review!

And stay tuned!

xxx