Faithfully

A/N: Don't kill me, please. I know it's been a while. Like a long while. Lol. If there are any readers still being patient enough to wait on another chapter for this story, I'll explain to you the reason for my absolutely ridiculously long leave of absence. Our computer crashed last year and so I had no means of writing up until now. That makes a truly long story short. I'm now ready to give you all what you have been yearning for and that is the (hopefully) anticipated new chapter of this story. Thank all of you who have been waiting and continue to enjoy the story.

BTW: Now that we have WI-Fi and a laptop I understand the joy that is being able to lay in the bed and write…amazing! This song is named after the Fall Out Boy song, "Thnks For The Mmrs" (Thanks For The Memories).

Disclaimer: I have hereby proclaimed reviewer, Mrs. Dianna Agron as my partner in explicit lesbian crime. As for our plans to conquer the universe with our gorgeous Glee women by our side…we have yet to finish. That includes the paperwork to that musical show that we both love so very much.

Chapter 10

Santana and Brittany had agreed to meet Rachel and Quinn at a homely diner a little further into the city scene of West Hollywood, a little ways away from Quinn's shop.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the quaint restaurant, Rachel turned to her girlfriend noticing the suddenly pale skin that laid underneath the pitch black sunglasses she wore.

"Quinn, are you alright?"

Quinn just braced her hands on the steering wheel, although the car was in park. She had a look on her face as if she was trying to figure out whether she should get out of the car and make a run for it, or start the car back up and drive off and never come back. For the most part Rachel had absolutely no idea why her girlfriend suddenly seemed on the verge of an anxiety attack.

"Baby?"

"I was pretty horrible in high school, wasn't I?"

The question appeared out of thin air it seemed. Rachel was actually caught off guard by the sudden inquiry. She turned to face her body towards the windshield and she flattened her palm against the fabric of her pink dress.

"Quinn you weren't horrible, we were friends." She spoke softly, and lifted her eyes to glance at the blonde, whose hands were still taking refuge on the steering wheel of the car. It was as if it was keeping her upright in this particular moment.

"I'm talking about before, Rachel. Before senior year I was horrible to you, to everyone…it wasn't even until I was pregnant with Beth that I started being remotely civil to the glee club."

She spoke in a whisper, as if it was something that she had just now come to terms with, something unbearable.

"Quinn you were focused. You had certain issues that you needed to work out with your father, certain standards that you had to live up to. You were under a lot of pressure, I understand." The brunette took that time to place her hand upon Quinn's leg, trying to soothe her fears, trying to bring her from whatever state she was in.

"That doesn't excuse the way I treated Mercedes, before the pregnancy. During, I managed somehow to become her friend. We weren't really close afterwards. We traded conversation, but a close friendship? It just didn't happen. I treated you so horrible Rachel, I ruined most of your high school career with my insults, with my desperate need to quell my feelings for you with hatred. I was so in love with you, but so blind. And you have to forgive me for that. You have to…"

Rachel turned to Quinn and pulled the sunglasses from her eyes. "Quinn, listen to me. I've had feelings for you from the moment that you sat next to me in English in the seventh grade…do you remember that?"

Quinn remembered. She remembered walking into class and seeing every desk full of students. She remembered seeing all the kids making small talk, and then a short brown haired little girl in an argyle sweater and knee socks sitting alone in the very front.

Quinn laughed softly.

"I told you I liked your knee highs."

Rachel rested her hands on her cheeks, running her thumb over the space under her eyelids. "You did. I knew you were going to play a big role in me becoming the star that I would be, or if anything, the person I would be."

Quinn scoffed, "I bet you didn't imagine that role being throwing frozen drinks in your face every day, drawing pornographic pictures of you, and making your life a living hell for the rest of your high school career."

Rachel laughed, "I was determined to hold my head high. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt. I just wanted to be friends with you so bad Quinn. I just kept telling myself to stick it out, because something in my gut told me that I needed you in my life in order for it to be complete. In that particular moment, I assumed as a friend, a confidant. But naturally, I was wrong."

Quinn turned her head away from Rachel's embrace. "I couldn't even give you friendship. I couldn't even return the grace and the honest good that you had given despite everything I had done to you."

"You couldn't until senior year. We were close senior year. I know you feel guilty and hurt that you should have offered me that sooner, but we were in high school. And you were dealing with more pressure than any of us could ever imagine. But I got that sliver of friendship senior year. I got to have the one person I had always wanted as a somewhat best friend. That made high school amazing for me, Quinn." Rachel smiled taking her hand.

"I still didn't stay in touch after, I should have told you how I felt. I owed you at least that. But I just couldn't Rachel, you know? I was so scared. Scared of the same rejection my parents had managed to give me my entire life. So I just left Ohio, and everything that was involved, with it. Or at least I tried to. I feel terrible. All these years and I was jerk for not even emailing anyone besides Puck, San, and B." Quinn squeezed her lover's hand.

She locked her hazel eyes to the dark chocolate ones staring back at her.

"I was fine at first, but how can I just walk into that diner and sit at the table and chum it up, with Mercedes and Kurt after not speaking to either of them for nine years? How can they not be offended? Fuck, how can you not be offended? How do you even believe that I love you?" Quinn said incredulously.

Rachel, pull her lips down to meet hers in a sweet kiss. She allowed her lips to move over Quinn's in a fashion that one could only call, cooling. She tangled her fingers in the blonde tresses, soothingly, swiping her tongue over her bottom lip before briefly slipping it into her mouth.

Quinn let her body sink itself into that of the short woman's. She allowed her to maneuver her emotions into those of absolute tranquility. She felt like she was trying to restore peace into her body, trying to restore proper order.

She may have been over exaggerating her anxiety, but she couldn't help it.

She had been so incredibly cruel to these people, especially Rachel, and now she was dating her and about to go into a room to exchange memories with people she didn't even bother to keep contact with after high school. People she had only begun to know when their days of no responsibility and drama had wound down to nothing. It was the first time she had ever thought about how much she missed out on.

Rachel pulled away, "Because I know you love me. I can feel it all over my body. Words can't even explain Quinn. Your love radiates all over my body like some sort of shield. I feel so wrapped up in it constantly. I have forgiven you for everything that happened in high school Quinn. It was just high school. I love you and so do Mercedes and Kurt. They know that after we got out of Lima that we were all focused. They do not fault you for that; they just want you to be happy, they are glad you are finally happy. We all watched you go through everything, painfully. For a long time I was jealous of Mercedes. That night at regional's I figured out that I was in love with you and you went into labor before I could even tell you. The person I loved more than anything in the world was birthing a child and I had to stay behind at some fucking choir competition. I wished I could have been there…holding your hand. I wish I could have kissed your forehead and pushed your hair out of your eyes. Eventually I got the girl, and if I had to I'd go through everything to get you again. Do not beat yourself up over things you cannot control, Quinn. Please, allow yourself to be happy. I promise that there's nothing to worry about. You have me and Santana and Brittany, Puck and now Mercedes and Kurt." Rachel raised the hand she was holding to her mouth and pressed her lips against the knuckles softly.

Quinn stared at Rachel. She was really fretting over nothing. But she couldn't help but think of all the mistakes she made and how she had shut off from so many people because of her situation.

But now, she had this beautiful woman in front of her, telling her that it was okay. She had this beautiful woman trying to make her understand that no one faulted her for her actions in high school, she had people who were waiting on her in that restaurant so they could get to know the new and improved Quinn Fabray.

They were ready to understand everything that was this new refined version of the girl they had once known in high school.

"I love you." Quinn stated softly.

Rachel smiled and ran the tip of her finger down her woman's nose. "Good, otherwise we'd have some major problems."

Rachel was absolutely beside herself with happiness holding the hand of her lover as they walked into the diner.

Quinn ran the hand of her tattooed arm through her blonde locks nervously. She glanced down at her appearance of a red short sleeved t-shirt, cut off shorts, and black converse.

"They're probably gonna think I'm a fucking freak, I could just see Mercedes giving me the 'oh hell no' look." Quinn laughed quietly to herself. Rachel slapped her hand lightly against the girl's chest.

"Quinn they won't say that...they are much more understanding than they were back in school. Honestly, they didn't even judge you then." Rachel spoke as they walked towards a table in the back that the hostess had directed them towards.

"Even when I had violently pink hair and walked around in black leather at the beginning of our senior year?"

"Well, we just all chalked it up to you going through a major identity crisis." Rachel laughed. Quinn pressed a kiss to the top of the shorter girl's head.

"I loved the pink hair, girl I thought it was a major fashion statement."

"But the leather and the black, I definitely could have lived without."

Quinn was brought face to face to the black girl she had once called her best friend out of many, and the fashionable boy who managed to make a statement in more ways than one.

She stared at them, offering a small wave before her ears were assaulted with screams of excitement, as she was engulfed in a group hug of sorts.

"Oh my god Quinn Fabray, it's been so long! I see you have taken that scruffy punk look you started at the beginning of our senior year and turned it into something poetically pleasing to the eye. I'm so proud! You have to tell me how you adapted this style and where those beautiful tattoos came from, oh my goodness…how could you not let us know in high school that you were such an amazing artist?"

Kurt had steered the startled blonde to a seat next to him and across from her girlfriend and to say she was at a loss of words was the understatement of the year.

"Well I-"

"Anyways, how did you end up in California? At UCLA? How could you not have told us? We would have been so happy for you Quinn, none of us saw you after graduation except socially challenged across from you who refused to tell us anything. We were so worried. I was glad to hear eventually that you had made something of yourself, we always knew you'd be successful, how long did it take you to figure out that you wanted to be an artist? And even then, a tattoo artist? You simply must tell us everything!" Kurt continued to gush. Quinn looked to Rachel for help but Mercedes was the one who came to her rescue.

"Damn boy, let the girl get settled before you interrogate her. Jesus, she looks like she's about to throw up." Quinn did feel herself sweat a little bit, but she laughed at Mercedes' comment.

"It's alright, I know you probably are both wondering how I ended up here… I did just kind of leave Lima without an explanation to most." She looked at Rachel again who was giving Kurt a glare.

"I was not socially challenged!"

"Oh please when it came to Quinn the rest of us were transparent and nonexistent. You were the only one who knew where she was going for college. But you didn't tell us anything. You just acted as if you never heard us. You never answered questions about her, or anything. All the way up until you went on your quest to find her, then you became an actual live speaking person," Kurt said matter-of-factly, then as an afterthought he added, "by the way you need your eyebrows plucked."

Rachel scoffed, "Well I figured at first, for whatever reason, that Quinn didn't want everyone to know all of her business, that she didn't want her entire life story broadcasted to the state of Ohio. And everyone at this table knows that if I would have told you, she would have been found and interrogated a long time ago…and I can go another week before they need to be plucked actually." She reached in her purse for a mirror as if the hairs in question would suddenly grow at a rapid pace.

Quinn smiled warmly at the woman. Mercedes grabbed the top of her hand from beside Rachel and spoke, "Quinn, we all understand that you probably were the first person ready to get the hell out of Lima."

The blonde smiled, "Thank you, Mercedes. But I do apologize for not giving you or Kurt or anyone besides Brittany and Santana any type of communication after high school. But I am here now, and I did miss you guys. So, feel free to ask me anything you'd like, I want to catch up with you guys as much as possible." Quinn folded her hands together and could feel her body relax with the knowledge that the two were just honestly curious and not pissed at her lack of social skills when they graduated.

"I hope you didn't think that you bitches were going to catch up before we got here." Quinn rolled her eyes at the voice of her two best friends.

Santana stood in a loose t-shirt and jeans with a fedora perched on the top of her head while her wife jumped up and down squealing at the sight of her long lost classmates.

"Mercedes! Kurt!" Brittany leaned over to give them both hugs before settling in the seat next to Rachel whom she hugged as well.

Santana plopped down next to Quinn. "Glitter, Aretha, it's good to see you."

"Santana, still as effervescent as ever." Kurt replied taking a sip of water while donning a smirk.

"So, where are we starting with the catching up? Because Quinn has been in love with Berry since regional's." Santana stated coolly picking up her menu to scan the choices for lunch.

Mercedes and Kurt both looked at each other wildly before exclaiming, "What?"

"Fuck, Santana you could have warned me before we were starting with the deep shit." Quinn ran her fingertips through her silky tresses and she felt Rachel's hand slide over hers and squeeze it lightly.

Instantly her body relaxed.

"I have loved Rachel ever since she sang faithfully at regional's, and probably before that…but I never noticed."

Kurt snapped his fingers, "I knew it! That's where all the hatred came from, you were really struggling with your feelings for her."

"I was struggling with feelings as well though, I actually realized it that night too. It's fairly ironic." Rachel picked up her glass of water and sipped it lightly.

"So I want to know what the fuck was loaded into those Journey lyrics that made you two become all ready to bump kitties." Santana laughed.

"Well, San they always loved each other, they were just waiting for their lemons to pressed, or something of that sort…right?" Brittany spoke questionably and Santana nodded to her wife.

"So that explains the feuding over Finn? He was a decoy for both of you, so you had to make it look like you were fighting over him for a while to keep people from discovering that you two were both lesbians?" Mercedes questioned.

"Well, I like to think of it as a little less dramatic than that, I actually had feelings for Finn for a while-"

"Why, we'll never know." Santana cut through.

"-But, I needed Quinn's friendship more. Eventually I understood that Finn and I weren't going anywhere, but something in me was telling me that I needed Quinn more."

Quinn smiled despite her discomfort at the mention of Finn's name.

"Honestly it was a little bit more on the dramatic side for me. I needed to make it seem like I hated Rachel because of Finn, I needed to hate her because loving her was wrong, according to my parents. I only became her friend senior year because I realized that I couldn't hate her and I couldn't ever live without her."

Kurt sighed and looked at Mercedes with eyes full of happiness. "That's adorable!"

Rachel smiled at her girlfriend and rubbed her hand soothingly.

Santana scoffed, "Yes so fucking adorable."

Mercedes laughed, "Satan what did you end up doing after high school besides apparently pulling your head out of your ass and marrying Brittany?"

Santana smiled proudly, "I became a lawyer, one of the biggest and highest paid ones in the state actually." She folded her arms across her chest as if to say, "bring it on", and Kurt looked on interested.

"Should of known all that bitchiness in high school would amount to something in your life. So you're a lawyer, what kind of lawyer?"

"Any fucking kind I want to be. I studied for every type of law there is. I have several degrees. I have handled family court cases to murder cases. Plus I got my degree in business and investments." She said looking around. "Where is the fucking waiter, I'm fucking starving."

"San owns a share of Quinn's business." Brittany spoke softly picking up the salt shaker and examining it.

Kurt's eyebrows raised high to his forehead. "You two finally got along long enough to be able to run a business together?"

Rachel actually furrowed her eyebrows as well because she never once realized how surreal this all would have been had they thought about it during their years in high school.

"Santana, while crude and absolutely the most fucking annoying best friend I have ever had the pleasure of associating myself with in my entire life, is in Kurt's words the perfect bitch."

"Fuck you too, Fabs. Anyway, I heard Q over here was getting her entrepreneur on and thought, why not gets my investing on, I mean anyone at this table will agree that Quinn is cold as ice when her name is attached to something, and while I may be the queen bitch, Blondie here puts the "bitch" in head bitch in charge." Santana squinted her eyes around the restaurant before spotting a flush looking girl scurrying over to their table.

"About fucking time, hey? Bambi? We've been sitting here wasting away precious breath while you've been playing beauty parlor in the reflection of the toasters, wanna do your job sometime soon?" The Latina quipped.

The red head teen that oddly reminded them all of the guidance counselor from their high school years turned absolutely red in the face and hurried to pull out her note pad.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Jeez asshole, give her a break. We apologize for subjecting you to having the task of waiting on Lucifer." Quinn spoke softly to the poor girl who couldn't have been over nineteen.

"San, be nice to the cute waiter-girl, Quinn don't call my wife Lucy, that's your name. Anyways, I want anything that doesn't involve eggs…I already feel bad when I have to go to the park and leave the ducks there alone. I don't want to eat their babies." Brittany said grabbing her wife's hand from across the table.

The girl looked on very confusedly but everyone just chuckled not bothering to correct Brittany.

"Ahem, I agree I will be having the vegan special, and may I please have a cup of coffee?" Rachel spoke lightly.

The waitress continued to write orders down, including Quinn's all bacon grand slam, and Santana's ridiculous request of the biggest amount of hash-browns they could legally provide.

It wasn't until the redhead girl took Rachel's menu that her faced morphed into one of complete shock. "You're Rachel Berry…"

Rachel smiled softly at the girl. "Yes, I am, and you are…" She looked at her name tag. "Annie, so appropriately named with your beautiful red hair." The girl blushed.

"I'm such a fan. I've seen every Broadway play you have ever been in, even before you starred! And I have bought every album ever, oh my god, and you're Mercedes aren't you? I've seen your stuff on YouTube, and I was so pumped when I found out you were signed to Universal! I-would you mind if I got both of your autographs?" She stuttered out quickly reaching under their order sheet grab a piece of paper for them to sign.

Quinn watched her girlfriend humbly sign her autograph next to Mercedes, before handing it back to the girl.

There was no shock or surprise that everyone on the earth looked at Rachel Berry and saw the same golden angel that she had seen ever since high school.

"I'll make sure to get your orders right out, alright?" The girl said taking the menu's quickly.

"Yeah, step on it." Santana spoke sharply, with a smirk, watching the girl trip over herself in a rapid attempt to actually get their orders out quickly.

"Wow, talk about star treatment?" Kurt spoke excitedly to his best friend who seemed over the moon that she had been recognized. But Rachel seemed particularly calmed at the whole situation which baffled Santana.

"Jeez Berry, when did you become so…tame?"

"Every time I honestly am in a state of hazy confusion as to why they are so interested in me and why they always get so excited to see me. So it's more of a wow, you want my autograph? Rather than pride or excitement. Sure at first I was pretty excited, like Mercedes should be, but now…it only makes sense to be extremely humble."

Quinn pressed her lips to her lovers knuckles smiling at her. "It makes beautiful sense. But I don't understand how you can't see why they wouldn't want your autograph. They love you, you're absolutely amazing."

"You both make me want to vomit."

"Good, maybe you'll do me a favor and drown in it." Quinn said coolly smirking at her friend who punched her arm lightly.

The table vibrated and the entire group glanced at the most fashionable diva at the table. Kurt pulled his computer of a phone from its spot. His face paled and he glanced up at Rachel who raised eyebrow.

"Paps caught up with you, one minute warning."

"What? What are you talking about-" But before her sentence could be finished her cellphone rang out, in a truly ironic fashion breaking the conversation.

Rachel's eyes grew hard at the name on the screen and one word was uttered from her mouth.

"Fuck."

Quinn looked at her, questioning her well being, asking her if she was alright with the specks in her hazel pupils. "Rach?"

"Rachel, I don't think now is the time-" Kurt started. But Rachel's hard voice cut him off.

"Please excuse me."

She squeezed Quinn's hand and rose from the table to take the call.

Everyone sat there truly confused at the sudden interruption just as Annie appeared donning a large tray with their "brunch". Santana was the first to break the awkward silence. "What the fuck was that about?"

Quinn was grateful for her friend bringing the obvious at attention because she was truly locked in a state of confusion herself.

"I have absolutely no idea, Kurt…is Rachel okay? And what was that about a two minute warning or something?" Quinn said looking to the skinny man sitting next to her.

"Um, I – uh, it really is up to Rachel to tell you –"

"Spill Judy Garland, what the fuck has Rachel saying obscenities that isn't Q's fingers?" Santana said truly curious.

"I…really it is her-"

"Kurt damn, since when do you hold back on gossip?" Mercedes questioned to her fashionable best friend.

"The paparazzi caught you two walking out of the nightclub wrapped very closely around each other last night."

Quinn rolled her eyes because she didn't really care, "Well I don't care…I know Rachel is pretty big, and it is L.A."

"True. But it can get truly annoying sometimes especially if you're trying to keep any type of secret, Matt and I can never really shake them."

Quinn understood. She honestly had had her fair share of run in's with them. For what reason she would never understand because she never regarded herself as any type of celebrity. But they could be absolutely ruthless when they wanted a shot.

She allowed herself to wonder where they could have been hiding the night before. Surely she would have seen them?

But then again she didn't she anything that wasn't her girlfriend. They were practically stumbling to get to the car, so she could make love to her.

"So what's the big fucking deal they are a fucking nuisance but, Queen Berry of Universal Kingdom should be extremely comfortable shouldn't she? I don't take Berry as the shy type, especially when it comes to her relationship."

"Yeah Rachel never really tried to stay in Narnia…she decided to come back to McKinley when her and Finn broke up." Brittany said taking bites from her and her wife's plates.

"She isn't shy…there are just certain problems that arise when her business gets in the news." Kurt tries to end curtly.

"Problems?" Quinn questioned, confusedly.

"Well, just one."

And like clockwork Rachel appeared with a tight smile on her face, and she sat herself next to Mercedes using a quick nod of her head to signal that she was "fine".

"Rachel?" Kurt said softly and Rachel flicked her eyes to him before looking at Quinn.

"Baby, you alright?" Quinn said looking across the table at her girlfriend who grimaced at her.

"I'll be fine. I just got a fairly unpleasant call." She took her fork and stabbed into her vegan pancakes with a certain amount of vigor that Quinn couldn't quite place. She locked her hazel eyes on the form of the love of her life wondering what changed her mood so quickly.

"Oh, alright…" Quinn spoke, baffled at her lover's attitude that clearly read that she was upset.

"Berry, the jig is up, who was on the phone that caused you to come back with your face tighter than Joan Rivers?" Santana demanded.

"Santana, knock it off." Quinn said.

"It's fine Quinn-"

"What? I'm honestly concerned. It's not like I'm accusing her of talking to her mistress or some shit, unless you actually were. If that's the case, confess so I can kick your ass and get it over with."

"Shut up, Santana." Quinn snapped at the Latina.

"It was Finn."

The entire table went silent save for the clinking of the forks that dropped to the plates in earnest surprise.

"Finn?" Mercedes said, in shock looking to Kurt for confirmation who looked down at his plate. The eyes were darting in between Rachel who was waiting for a response and Quinn who was stunned into silence.

However, the ever so eloquent Santana Lopez seemed to take the words briskly from her mouth.

"What the fuck?"

A/N: Whoo well this seemed like an appropriate place to end it after being out practice for so long. This was one of those nasty filler chapters, which I apologize for, but it was needed to move the plot along.

The next chapter will explain Rachel's discomfort about Finn, and give Quinn's reaction to it all. I hope you all forgive me for the long wait, but there was nothing I could do about my computer crashing. All is well now though and I'll be writing a lot more, I promise.

Review please!

-Mimi