Rachel walked down the halls of school the next day looking for Quinn. She had no idea where Quinn's classes were because lately Quinn would just show up at her locker. But today there was no Quinn to be found.
"Hey Berry!" a Cheerio she didn't know called, "My grandma called. She wants her sweater back."
Rachel had gotten used to the name-calling and stupid jokes about her clothes. Her reply came out of her mouth that was almost automatic, "The 90's called. They want their joke back."
The next thing she knew she was thrust into a row of lockers her backpack cushioning the blow on her back. The Cheerio crossed her arms at the stunned singer, "What did you say?"
Rachel closed her eyes for ten seconds and teleported herself away. To a stage with a spotlight and a familiar show tune. Or to her room with Quinn peacefully sleeping next to her. Or even better, last night in her bedroom where she was almost positive Quinn was about to kiss her.
"Hey," the Cheerio shoved her into the locker again, "I'm talking to you freak."
Rachel opened her eyes to see the menacing eyes of the girl that was assaulting her. She was getting ready to take some physical pain before the back of a Cheerio's uniform stepped between the mean cheerleader and Rachel.
"Leave her alone," the familiar voice told the other Cheerio.
Rachel was thankful that once again Brittany was sticking up for her.
"Or what?" the mean girl, who was awfully brave or awfully stupid stepped up to Brittany while the friends that were on her sides, backed off, knowing she was going into dangerous territory. "Is your girlfriend going to beat me up?"
Knowing that was a sensitive subject that would end up with Santana very angry at the cheerleader, Brittany or most likely Rachel again, the songstress put her hand on Brittany's shoulder, "Let's just go. Okay? It's not worth it."
The blonde Cheerio looked at Rachel and nodded, agreeing with her. They started walking off then the brave or stupid girl called after them, "That's right. Walk away, bitch."
Rachel saw Brittany's fists clench. Santana must be rubbing off on her because the blonde turned on her heel and marched right up to the irritating girl.
"Turn in your uniform to Coach Sylvester's office by lunchtime," Brittany did her best Santana scowl, which seemed to work.
The girl's eyes grew wide. "I…wha-what?"
"You heard me," Brittany snapped, "You're off the squad."
The girl just stood there stunned, while Brittany rejoined Rachel and they walked together to Rachel's locker.
"Can you really do that?" Rachel asked as she spun the numbers on the lock around a few times.
Brittany let out a delighted smile, "No, but she deserves it. Coach doesn't like her anyway and was going to cut her next week."
"Well," Rachel grinned, "Thanks for helping me out back there. I'm not used to having such popular friends."
"No problem," Brittany heard someone call her name down the hallway. She slid her backpack off one arm, "I have to go, but Quinn told me to give you this." She pulled out a picture and handed it to Rachel.
Before looking at it, Rachel asked, "Where is Quinn?"
Brittany thought for a second before shrugged, "I don't know." She let out her infectious grin, "See ya in glee."
"Bye," Rachel called after the blonde who was already lost in the crowd. She looked down at the picture and saw it was obviously an espionage-type shot of her ex-boyfriend with blue hair, trying to cut through the plastic wrap that covered his Range Rover. His eyes were colored over with a black marker and on the back it read in Quinn's handwriting. "I didn't do anything."
Rachel laughed at the picture and tucked it into her backpack before heading to class, hoping to catch Quinn between classes after next period was over.
Just as Brittany was about to go into her next class, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into the girl's bathroom. Brittany smiled when she saw Santana, but the other girl didn't look as happy to see her.
"What happened with that freshman this morning?" Santana asked, crossing her arms.
Brittany looked at Santana with wide eyes wondering why she seemed pissed off. She shrugged, "She was being mean to Rachel and I told her she was off the squad. She turned in her uniform at lunch."
Although Santana was immensely proud of the fact that Brittany tricked that cheerleader right out of the uniform, she was still a little annoyed. "Then why do people keep asking me if we're dating?"
The confusion was evident on the blonde's face, "I didn't…tell anyone. She just asked if my girlfriend was going to beat her up. I didn't say anything. I swear."
Santana sighed, knowing her anger was misplaced on Brittany. She rubbed her eyes and sighed, "I know you didn't. I just…didn't sleep well last night and when I get to school everyone's asking if we're dating. I'll do the damage control. Don't worry about it." She kissed Brittany's cheek and added, "See you at glee." Before walking out the door.
Brittany frowned. She didn't know why Santana not to worry about it because she wasn't at all. She didn't care if the whole world knew they were dating. Why would Santana need to do damage control? What damage was done? Was it so terrible that a rumor about them was circulating the campus? Who cares about that stuff anymore anyway?
Rachel finally found Quinn, sitting in the glee room by herself right before practice started. She smiled and saw next to the blonde who smiled back. "Hey." Rachel set her backpack at her feet, "Thanks for what you…didn't do. It means a lot."
"I may only be good at two things, but revenge is definitely one of them," Quinn smirked.
"What's the other one?"
"Getting pregnant," Quinn replied with a playful smile.
Brittany skipped up behind Santana and linked their pinkies together. She was shocked when Santana pulled her hand away and gave Brittany a half-apologetic, half-annoyed look. "Not right now."
"What?" Brittany asked, completely dumbfounded.
"Not right now, okay?" Santana stated. Before she knew it, Brittany was stalking off toward the glee room. "Brittany wait!" But the didn't. The blonde turned on her heel into the room and Santana opened her mouth to call her again when she noticed that everyone was already there. So she shut her mouth and followed Brittany toward the chairs. However, the blonde picked a seat that was situated between Quinn and Mike so Santana couldn't sit next to her.
The nearest vacant seat was on the other side of Rachel so she walked over and sunk into the seat.
Quinn passes a note to Brittany while Kurt was in the middle of a solo from "The Music Man." The current Cheerio opened it and read, 'What happened?'
Brittany wrote back and handed it over. Quinn wasn't surprised at the answer, 'Santana is being stupid.'
'Did she say something mean?'
Brittany wrote a long paragraph about how she helped Rachel this morning and that Santana got mad and now they couldn't hold pinkies in the hallway anymore.
Quinn shot a glare Santana's way and Rachel quirked an eyebrow who saw the menacing look from the pregnant girl. Rachel looked at Santana who sunk lower in her chair.
Rachel passed a note to Santana asking what happened.
Santana wrote back, 'None of your business.'
Rachel sighed and handed the note to Quinn who glared at Santana again. Then she passed the note Brittany had written to Rachel who read over it and threw her own glare Santana's way.
After glee practice, Santana had had enough of the glaring from Quinn and Rachel so she stormed out.
Santana also happened to be Brittany's ride so she rode with Rachel and Quinn to Rachel's house where they settled in the living room for a musical, which was pretty much the only genre of DVD Rachel owned.
Brittany had sat next to Quinn who pulled the forlorn girl into her arms before eventually steeling with her head in Quinn's lap. The pregnant girl stroked Brittany's hair while throwing worried looks Rachel's way. Neither one had ever seen Brittany so drained of energy and the blonde hadn't smiled since before glee.
"What movie is this?" Brittany asked quietly.
"Nine," Rachel answered, "It's a Broadway musical that was turned into a film. My dads say the film version is a travesty, but I haven't seen the musical live so I can't judge."
"I like this song," Brittany mumbled.
Rachel added, hoping to get a smiled from the Cheerio, "I have the soundtrack if you want to borrow it. The songs are great."
"Okay," Brittany nodded against Quinn's leg and went back to watching the movie.
A few minutes later Rachel's dad walked in, "Hey girls." He surveyed the room, "Aren't you missing someone?"
At that Brittany flinched, the muscles in her back tensing under Quinn's fingers.
Rachel shot a warning look at her dad, "We're not missing anyone."
He understood immediately, "Well what do you say we order some Thai and rent some movies?"
Rachel silently consulted Quinn who knew that Brittany shouldn't be alone and definitely shouldn't be out in public. The pregnant girl nodded, "Sounds good."
Rachel's dad's occupied the loveseat while the girls took over the couch. Brittany was still between Quinn and Rachel, pushing her food around in the box. She wasn't even in the mood to try to remember how to use chopsticks so she speared the noodles with a fork and set the box down.
After the first movie was over, Brittany thanked everyone, but said she had to get home. Rachel and Quinn walked her to the door and hugged her before the Cheerio walked the few blocks to her house, refusing a ride.
Quinn shook her head as Rachel closed the door. "This is so weird. No one is ever really mean to Brittany. Mostly because they're afraid of Santana, but also because being mean to Brittany is like drop kicking a kitten."
Rachel sighed. "I know."
Quinn glanced at the clock that was hanging on the wall over the fireplace. "I should probably get going too."
"Really?" Rachel asked, wanting Quinn to stay a little longer…or forever.
"Yeah," Quinn let out a small smile, "The couch is calling." She leaned forward and hugged Rachel, "Thanks for helping with Brittany tonight. I know you haven't known her long, but it means a lot that you're here."
"Of course," Rachel smiled back, "Maybe tomorrow night you two could come over again. Assuming Santana hasn't groveled to get Brittany back by them."
Quinn shook her head, "It's going to take more than a night to get Santana to grovel." She picked up her keys, said goodbye to Rachel's dads and walked with Rachel to the front door again.
"Goodnight," Rachel nervously wrapped her arms around herself, wanting to breech the subject of the near kiss, but not managing to muster up the courage.
Quinn grinned, "Goodnight." This time when she leaned forward she kissed Rachel's cheek.
The singer let out the biggest smile she had in a while as she watched Quinn walk to her car.
When Rachel woke up the next morning there was a text on her phone. She opened it and found a message from Brittany that was sent at three thirty in the morning. It asked her to bring the "Nine" soundtrack and meet her before school in the glee room.
