A/N - Thanks to gleefaberry for the beta and thanks for still reading despite the angst (or for some...because of it)

Don't Let It Break Your Heart

And if I lost the map
If I lost it all
I fell into the trap
Then she goes

When you're tired of waiting so you just
Find that you never had to stop
Come on baby, don't let it break your heart

She's so surprised to see Quinn parked outside her house Monday morning that she forgoes breakfast and rushes out the front door without her scarf, jacket or book bag. She's not sure what she's going to say or do but to be honest, she's just trying to ascertain that Quinn's actually outside and not just a figment of her overactive imagination because of her dream last night.

"Rachel."

Her daddy's voice stops her in her tracks as she guiltily turns to look at him.

"Daddy."

Her answer back with an accompanying smile elicits a smile in return, although he does not let her go.

"Back inside, young lady. Your dad did not waste his morning slaving over the stove making his world renowned vegan pancake recipe for you to just ignore it. Besides, unless you're expecting to catch a cold and ignore classes, I'm pretty sure you're going to need your coat and books."

She glances at Quinn who's sitting rigidly in her car and Rachel has to squash the urge to wave at her. She's really out of her depth here because they've only been friends from afar. And that meant conversations that start out fine and end in tears or start out in tears and end in fewer tears.

Rachel sighs as she re-enters her house and almost pulls her daddy along. Only he's walking towards Quinn's car and as much as she would like to follow him, she knows that he's right that her dad was trying his best to make up for what he had almost done. Rachel knows there's really nothing to forgive him for because he had only been looking out for her. She enters the kitchen to hear her dad whistling as he expertly flipped a pancake.

"That smells really good."

Her hands go around his waist as she hugs her dad from behind.

"Damn right it does. Go and sit."

He plates the pancakes and drizzles just the right amount of organic honey on them. He's about to add fruit when he sees Hiram enter with Quinn in tow. He knows that he's promised to give her a chance with Rachel but on the other hand, he knows that whatever his daughter had said about friendship being enough, deep down she would always hope for more.

Rachel was his daughter and not just because it said so on her birth certificate. She was a part of him and he knows, he really truly knows that when Rachel loved someone, she went all in. That meant that she would open herself up and accept whatever Quinn could give. But in the end, she would hope for a happy ending that he knows would not occur.

He nods at Quinn but does not smile, although he softens a bit when he sees her worried expression. "Pancakes?" he holds out the plate to her. It's as close to a peace offering as he can muster because he hopes that she really did mean what she said back at the restaurant in Columbus.

Quinn takes the plate and hesitates just enough such that Rachel notices, before sitting directly opposite her. She does not look up but eats her meal deliberately and all Rachel can do is sigh and do the same.

The ride to school is equally awkward mainly because Rachel panics and instead of staying silent like she promised herself she would, she almost word vomits when Quinn asks her if the air conditioning is ok for her and not too cold.

"Cold, no, it's not too cold. In fact, I think it's just right, you know. Kind of like the three little bears or the littlest bear saying everything was just right. I mean, not that I'm a bear or you're goldilocks although you are blonde and…" She trails off when Quinn actually turns to look at her.

Rachel knows she's making an ass of herself because Quinn's entire body actually turns towards her such that she's worried about them getting into an accident. Quinn's right eyebrow rises in a silent question.

"It's fine." Rachel sighs again as she bows her head, breaking off eye contact to stare intently at her wringing hands. She's completely blowing it and wonders if Quinn is regretting or has already regretted her offer of friendship. And if that were the case, Rachel knows she has a limited time window to ensure Quinn is ok. So instead of keeping silent, she goes with the question she's been dying to ask the blonde since she saw her parked outside her house.

"Are...are you ok?"

Her voice is timid and she holds her breath waiting for Quinn to answer. Only Quinn does not say anything. Instead her hand reaches out and she switches on the radio. Rachel expects punk music but what she gets is Billie Holiday and somehow it's comforting as Rachel finally leans back into the seat and breathes again.

#$#$#$#$#$

School's less uncomfortable mainly because they have the least number of classes together on Mondays, so Rachel tracks Quinn's progress in the hallways as they make their way to their separate classes. As always, she's so intent on looking out for the blonde that her sixth sense misses the looks the Cheerios are giving each other each time they pass her.

Quinn remembers when her only respite from all the pressure was just enjoying learning something in one of her classes. It used to ground her and make her realize that she just needed to hang on until graduation and maybe by then, she would have a plan to get out of Lima.

Head Cheerio and a 4.0 grade point average would at least get her to OSU if not to Berkeley. It's a dream she'd kept close to her heart since she could remember. Realizing it was never going to happen when she got pregnant had almost broken her. Giving Beth up and knowing that that was the best thing that she would ever accomplish did break her.

So she still derives some pleasure from just learning something even if she knows it's not a means to an end but just an end in itself. She's taking AP physics and apart from Mike and Santana, there are no other people she knows or even cares to recognize. She slumps in her seat closest to the door and notes the serious conversation Santana seems to be having with one of her Cheerio minions just outside.

"It's happening at two. Coach says you have to be there, Lopez. We're not going to start without you …"

Quinn catches the warning tone but is surprised to see Santana's face almost blanch as her jaw tightens and she just nods. The Cheerio, Michelle or Katie-Quinn hasn't kept up since she finally quit-looks like she doesn't believe Santana. So she stands there, her arms crossed until she hears Santana curse in Spanish before replying.

"I'll be there."

Quinn most definitely does not miss being at Coach Sylvester's beck and call and she shakes her head at Santana's predicament. But it's really her choice and that one yoke was something Quinn had actually been happy to get rid of.

"She…We need to make sure that she does not get too hurt. We have Sectionals coming up."

Quinn's head actually jerks up at that comment because she's almost sure that Santana is not that stupid or mean. Sure, she has a huge chip on her shoulder because she is at that point where she knows exactly who and what she wants but just cannot take that one last step. If Quinn is being honest, Santana is still so very far ahead at least in accepting who she is.

And she could be a freaking bitch and a raging perfectionist when it came to exacting revenge. Only she knows that Santana would not purposely hurt Rachel. They still made snide comments about each other but that has been the extent of their interactions. Quinn hopes that she's wrong and they're talking about hurting someone else. Only she's heard the rumblings in school.

Coach Sylvester planned for all contingencies, which was why she always recruited four additional Cheerios for her squad. Ever since three girls came down with food poisoning in 2002, she'd always ensured that her routines had four additional girls just in case.

Only with five of them suspended due to what happened to Rachel, Quinn knows that the Cheerios couldn't compete in the easier State Round Robin and would have to win their Slot later at the Nationals Round Robin competition.

She glances up when Santana enters, her hand shooting out to grab the Latina's before she brushed pass her. "What are you planning on doing to Rachel?"

Santana's already feeling like crap and she definitely does not need Quinn to add to her issues considering that the blonde didn't even talk to her any more. She wrenches her hand from Quinn's grip.

"None of your goddamn business. Why the hell do you care what we do or what gets done to Rachel? You have new friends now, remember?"

She stalks to her chair in the back and grabs her phone, needing to ground herself as she taps out a quick message to Brittany. Its only when her phone beeps a minute later does she feel the muscles in her back relaxing. Brittany's reply is incoherent as always but the 'love you' sign off is all she needs to know that whatever happens this afternoon, she does have someone who would always be there for her.

Try as she might, Quinn cannot seem to concentrate on The Second Law of Thermodynamics. All she can focus on is entropy, not Clausius's definition but just the state of eventual degeneration. And it's just such a stark parallel to her life. She knows where she's going to end up and had taken it as an inevitability really, her once ordered normal life completely self destructing into the mess she was today.

Except, there was someone standing in her way; Rachel cared enough to stop the entropy that was her life. Even if she didn't care, Rachel actually did. And even if Rachel is irritating and loud mouthed and completely opinionated, she doesn't deserve whatever Coach Sylvester had planned for her.

Quinn waits when class ends and as soon as Santana passes her desk, she grabs at her hand once again and drags her towards the back of the class. "What's going down at two?" She sees Santana's usual pissed look. Only this time it's exacerbated by the fact that it's actually overlaid with some guilt. She knows she could go about this one of two ways: either slap it out of Santana or-

"Please, S. She's infuriating but…she believed in you when you said you liked Glee. We're all a family in Glee."

She's repeating Rachel's words and it actually seems to resonate with Santana as she lets out an exasperated breath.

"Becky's going to lure her to the gym and we're going to pummel her with dodgeballs. And when she runs out, Rick and his Neanderthals are going to slushy her by the stairs." Even saying the words make her face twist as she understands exactly how horrible the entire experience is going to be for Rachel.

Quinn's eyes widen at she glances at the clock. It's barely one fifteen and knowing Coach, she'll have a back up plan even for this.

"Can you stop it?"

Santana shakes her head. She is Cheerio captain. It's something she had wanted ever since Quinn had gotten it, never understanding what it actually meant. And only after she got it did she realize that nothing had changed except for the fact Sue now had even more power over her. "She doesn't trust me to go ahead with this so she made Katie do it. I'm just there to make sure Berry doesn't get too hurt."

"And if I just take Rachel home now?"

She recognizes Santana's look. Its pity mixed with 'How galactically stupid are you, Fabray?'.

"Then it'll happen tomorrow or the day after."

Sometimes she hates this school and this town and it's only when she feels her phone vibrate does she remember why she stays. 'Brit's talking to the Juniors, telling them to take it easy."

Quinn knows that just means don't put your entire weight behind the throw but still aim for the head. "What did Sue say exactly?"

"Aim for the nose." Quinn makes up her mind as soon as she hears Santana's words and takes off in a run towards Sue's office.

#$#$#$#$#$

"What are you saying exactly, Q?" Sue's sitting behind her desk, her elbows on it as her fingers are steepled together. She can't say she hasn't been expecting this little encounter although the impetus for it was not even something she could have thought up even with time and access to the really good drugs.

"You like revenge, Coach. You revel in it. It drives you and I'm offering you the chance to exact as much of it as you'd like….on me." Quinn's hands are clammy but she does not wipe them on her skirt. Instead she turns to pretend to examine the trophies on the side wall. She sees the empty space where last year's trophy should have been and she turns to smirk at Sue.

"Careful, Q. You're still on thin ice and one step away from my full wrath that has sent Navy Seals running for the hills." Quinn's proposition would actually get her exactly what she wants and it is difficult not to say yes immediately. "So, just to be clear here; in exchange for me calling off this alleged dodgeball attack-"

She raises a finger at Quinn's eyebrow lift. "Allegedly planned attack, you agree to rejoin the Cheerios at the bottom of the pyramid, take whatever crap I deem fit to hurl in your direction and help me win Nationals."

She had sworn never to come back. She had enough insults hurled at her at home. She didn't need to hear how useless she is in school as well. But she had rejoined Glee for Rachel so in a twisted way, rejoining the Cheerios for the brunette made sense too.

"Yes."

Her gaze does not waver as she sees Sue's eyes narrow and she can tell that she's made a deal with the devil. But it's too late to back out now.

"Becky!"

Her voice carries, and she can hear Becky's scurrying feet. Her mind is already focusing on where her new trophy is going to go because she already knows what routine she wants to inflict on them this year. She's a bit wary at the way Quinn's favoring her left side but it's a moot point anyway considering the girl is just going to be one giant bruise when she got through with her.

"Yes, Coach?"

"Get all the girls to get out on the field now."

"But Coach-" Becky trails off as she gives Quinn the once over.

"We have that gym practice session."

"I'm calling it off." She looks at Quinn when she says the words and is mildly surprised to see relief on the girl's face. She always assumed that that midget was a thorn in Q's side, a little woodpecker bent on pecking away at everything Quinn wanted like that oaf quarterback or that pool cleaning would be felon.

She doesn't really care though because Sue Sylvester was back and she was going to win another National Title.

"Sure thing, coach." Sue watches Becky run out and it still doesn't feel completely right, just giving up her plan for that little Glee Club mouth breather. However, she does know that she has made a deal and in her mind, that was that unless she could think of a justifiable alternative.

"Q, pick up your uniform from the locker room anytime."

#$#$#$#$#$

Quinn sees Rachel loitering by her locker, surreptitiously glancing at her watch and then back to the room where she's actually suppose to be having History. She should have realized it before but thinking back now, she's almost sure that Rachel's always managed to be in the halls this year whenever she was in classes they didn't share together.

"Rachel." Quinn tries to hide her smirk at Rachel's little jump at her voice.

"Hi Quinn. I was umm… shouldn't you be in History?" She realizes how stalkerish she sounds but it's too late when she sees Quinn's smirk. She's already admitted to liking the girl, wanting her even so admitting to memorizing Quinn's schedule didn't really seem too bad.

"I had a faculty advisor meeting instead." The lie rolls off her tongue so easily even if she actually feels bad for telling it. She has her uniform tucked under her arm. Before, she'd carry it around in its transparent plastic sheath, proud for everyone to see it. This time it's bundled and wrapped in brown paper, hidden away.

"If you're done with your class, I'll give you a ride home." She sees Rachel nod and smile tentatively at her. Quinn was pretty sure that this friendship thing really wasn't going to work. Even breakfast this morning and the really, really uncomfortable car ride to school all indicated that they were just not cut out to be friends.

However, right at this moment, something shifts within her. She hadn't done anything for herself or for anyone in a long time. And what she had done today, made her feel like she could matter again, maybe make a difference.

"Just don't compare me to any fairytale characters or ask me repeatedly if I'm ok…ok?" She tempers her words with a small smile of her own when she sees Rachel nod.

They're almost at the main doors when she sees Rick leaning against the wall, a slushy in his hand. She moves instinctively to Rachel's right knowing she won't be able to stop the attack but she'd probably be able to take most of the slushy.

Only she doesn't see Coach Sylvester until the woman steps in front of them, grabbing Rick by his jersey and tipping his hand such that the drink flies at Rachel before Quinn has a chance to pull her away.

She follows the trajectory of the cup, the blue liquid coating Rachel's front, before splashing to the ground. And when she tries to take a step forward, she's stopped by Sue's words.

"You know what Q? You were right, revenge is fun. So thanks for reminding me of that and giving me the chance." She mimes a gun with her hand as she points it at Rachel and clicks her tongue before turning on her heel to leave. Her final words making Quinn feel small all over again.

"Welcome back to the Cheerios Q. You've earned it."

There are quite a few things that Rachel hates with a passion like anyone maligning Barbra's nose or voice or losing a solo in Glee. She has a list written somewhere and she's up to number twenty six. She knows without a doubt that getting slushied is something she will hate for the rest of her life and that ranks at about number three. However, being set up by Quinn to be slushied was even worse than anything on her list right now.

She had wondered about her limit with Quinn. Her dad had pointed out that it would eventually happen but she had hoped that he was wrong. Only she knows that learning that Quinn had rejoined the Cheerios and apparently made a deal with Sue to get her slushied-knowing that made her realize that she had finally reached her limit.

Rachel runs out the door as fast as she can. She hears Quinn's voice calling her name, pleading for her to stop, telling her that she needs to explain but it's finally all too much.

"Rachel! Please Rachel. I didn't.. Please, please just stop!" Quinn runs after her.

"Rachel!"

End Part 10

Hope everyone has a great week and a good Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or just a nice break.