The bell on the coffee shop door rang as the two girls entered the store. A few people sat at the tables in the front, while one man resided in the back reading a book from the store's small selection.

Their arms were linked, both girls beaming, as they approached the counter to order. Rachel unhooked their arms and gazed up at the menu. Quinn stared as she watched Rachel's lip slide between her teeth while she contemplated her order. It was adorable.

"What are you going to get, Rachel?" she asked, very much entertained by the girl's quirks.

Rachel took a deep breath and stared Quinn straight in the eyes.

"I am going to get green tea," she said with conviction.

Quinn blinked.

"Green tea?" she asked.

The brunette nodded.

"What's wrong with green tea?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just thought you'd want something a bit more complicated than that."

Rachel smiled, a blush pervading her already flushed skin. Quinn ordered the same, and the two went to sit in a secluded corner in the back of the store. Surrounded by books, Quinn took a moment to scan the shelves, always eager to begin a new book. She had never been to this café before; it was quaint, low key, and just the place she would need in the future to get away from her family.

"How did you know about this place?" Quinn asked absently as she read the back cover of a book.

Rachel sat down at a table, her fingers tracing circles on the aged wood.

"When I first started working at the theater, I was still… well I call it upset but my parents choose to call it clinically depressed. Some nights were stressful, especially after a five-hour rehearsal. One day, I took a breather and walked straight into this store without even looking. When I finally realized where I was I was pleasantly surprised. It's so… quiet, isn't it? It's the perfect place to think."

Quinn nodded and joined Rachel at the table. After a quick gaze at the counter, she refocused her attention to Rachel who was staring at her with an indecipherable look.

"What?" she asked without her usual defensive venom.

Rachel shrugged and gazed out the window. It had begun to snow lightly. Tiny flurries danced to the sidewalk at a slow graceful pace.

"I love snow," Rachel said softly, her eyes glued to the flakes falling to the ground.

It still amazed Quinn how emotional Rachel became over such trivial things like snow, or being alone on an empty stage. Quinn drank in her features, her long flowing brown hair and deep chocolate eyes.

"You're beautiful," she breathed.

Rachel tore her eyes from the window to look at a blushing Quinn.

"I-I mean, the snow is so beautiful," Quinn stammered, her face as red as the coffee mugs the waiter brought just in time.

"Two green teas?" he asked nonchalantly as he placed two mugs on the table.

"Thank you," the girls said simultaneously.

He nodded and walked away. Quinn's cheeks were still on fire as she was still in disbelief that she had actually said that.

Thankfully, Rachel changed the subject quickly, although she was still in shock after hearing Quinn's brutally honest confession. It warmed her heart, the approval of her ex-nemesis. Despite her superior acting skills, Rachel still could not stop the humongous smile from forming on her face. Quinn hadn't stopped blushing.

"So Quinn, the last time we were in this situation I told you about my failed attempt to achieve stardom. What did you do after graduation?"

Quinn sighed, a smile tugging at her lips, and ran her hand through her hair.

"I went to college in California with Sam. My father took care of tuition for both of us and-,"

Rachel stopped sipping her tea.

"Wait, your father?"

Quinn nodded as she took a sip from her mug, the warmed tea bringing new life to her body.

"Wow, this is really good," she breathed as she took a larger sip.

Rachel smiled.

"I'm glad we can agree on that. I drink it every day. It is much healthier than coffee and gives me the energy I need to perform in a vigorous show such as Rent."

Quinn suppressed a giggle, loving how she could never get a straight yes or no from Rachel.

"So, you're father…" Rachel prompted slightly, trying to bring the conversation back to what she wanted to know.

Quinn's life was a mystery, an enigma, and Rachel wanted to know everything she could.

"Right, my father," Quinn began, choosing her words very carefully, "he well…"

Her mouth wasn't working correctly. For some reason, Quinn didn't know what she wanted to tell Rachel.

Quinn didn't want to be fake with Rachel or lie to her anymore, especially after all they had been through. As if she had read Quinn's mind, Rachel reached over and placed her hand on Quinn's.

"Hey," she said softly. "If you don't want to talk about him, I understand."

Quinn shook her head. She lifted her eyes to meet Rachel's. No one had ever looked at her like that before. Not even her mother looked at her that way.

The least she owed Rachel was the truth, so Quinn took a deep breath, her hand still in Rachel's, and told her everything.

"If you didn't know, my father is…" her breath hitched and Rachel squeezed her hand.

"My father is a monster," she finally said in a low whisper, trying hard not to break.

"When I was younger, my family went to church and had dinner with my grandparents every Sunday. My mother would force me into my nice dress and the stockings that made my knees itch and the shoes that were too tight because they were Franny's old ones. We would go for the service, and I remember sitting in between my father and my sister. Every now and then he'd glance over to make sure I was behaving. I never dared to move a muscle. Then, after he'd schmoozed a bit with the other donators, we'd drive home in silence. Talking was not allowed in the car. Our grandparents would come over for dinner. My mother had a special tablecloth for the occasion and china that we were forbidden to touch. I remember one Sunday, I went to grab the salt and I knocked over my father's glass of wine. The room had gone silent, and I knew I was in trouble."

Quinn took a shaky breath, trying desperately not to cry.

"He put on that smile of his and scooped me into his arms and said 'No worries, my dear, Mommy will clean it up. Come with me and we'll get you cleaned off.' I thought I was okay. He brought me upstairs and the minute we turned into his study I knew it was just an act. He- he sat me down and kicked me onto my knees. After he pulled out his belt, he pulled my Sunday dress up and-,"

Rachel's arms were around her before Quinn could even break. She buried her head in the Rachel's hair, sobbing quietly into the crook of her neck, soaking Rachel's shirt with tears and snot.

And Rachel just held her, her fingers absently stroking her hair and rubbing her back.

Once Quinn finally gained a bit of control, she reluctantly pulled out of Rachel's arms. She went to wipe her eyes, but Rachel beat her to it. She felt a smooth hand wipe away the tears streaming down her normally composed face. Their eyes met, hazel colliding with brown, and what Quinn saw caught her off guard. She saw pain, pure pain. And she had no idea why.

"What?" she asked quietly.

Rachel shook her head gently and took Quinn's hand in hers once more.

"It-it just kills me knowing that he did that to you. I wish I could have-,"

"You couldn't have done anything, Rachel."

Rachel nodded and gave the hand another squeeze, signaling Quinn to keep going.

"Midway through senior year, my father came back to my mother while I was in school. Somehow he convinced her to give him another chance. He's been living with her ever since. He loved Sam, did the clichéd dinner with the parents and welcomed him into the 'Fabray Family'. It was decided that we would go to university together. My parents would pay tuition for a school in California."

"It was decided… for you?" Rachel questioned curiously.

Quinn nodded solemnly.

"Well, where did you want to go?"

"NYU. I got in too. My plan was to major in education."

"Did your parents know about this?"

"No, they didn't know I applied or got in."

"That's…" Rachel deliberated the correct adjective to describe Quinn's unfortunate situation.

"It sucks," Quinn said finishing what would have been a more insightful sentence.

Rachel took another sip of her green tea, contemplating her next question. She opened her mouth hesitantly, but no words ended up escaping, her next question on the tip of her tongue.

"Rachel, you can ask me anything. The least I owe you is the truth. You know more about me than my own parents just from this conversation alone."

Rachel nodded nervously.

"How did you and Sam happen? Your marriage, I mean," she asked shyly, her eyes looking anywhere but Quinn's.

"Ah," Quinn sighed as she took a drink of tea, "I was wondering when you were going to ask about him. Well, we met, as you know in high school, and dated for a while. He was sweet to me, held my hand, did all of the things boyfriends do I guess. Then you and Finn broke up, and Finn decided to, I don't know, to win me back? It was a stupid weird time, and to be honest I never wanted to be with Finn. Sam and I split, Finn and I got together, and I hated every minute of it."

"Why?"

Quinn sighed.

"Because I saw how much it hurt you to see Finn with me," she admitted softly.

"Oh," Rachel murmured.

"Anyway, Sam and I eventually got back together. We went to college together, and then came back here where my father had a job at the bank ready for Sam. We got married four weeks after we returned home."

Rachel's jaw was opening and closing.

"Can I be frank?"

Quinn was puzzled but nodded.

"That doesn't seem that romantic."

Quinn laughed.

"You're right, it wasn't."

Rachel's head cocked to the side.

"How did he propose?"

"He didn't," Quinn said as she twirled her spoon around her mug.

Now Rachel's jaw hit the floor.

"What?" Rachel exclaimed.

"He went out to dinner with my father, and the next day I was told I was marrying Sam."

Rachel was speechless. This sounded like some clichéd version of the Princess Diaries. Her father forced her to marry Sam? She couldn't imagine being forced to do anything. It wasn't in her nature to do something she didn't like.

Quinn had spent her adolescence going home to a father who abused her and a mother who stood by and let it happen. Rachel felt sick to her stomach, imagining a nine-year-old girl getting belted by her father for something as innocent as spilling a glass of wine. She was physically ill. Something, a combination of anger and horror, was building up inside of her.

"What?" Quinn asked softly.

Rachel shook her head, not wanting to spoil the evening.

"You deserve so much more, Quinn," she said in a hushed whisper.

Unable to speak, Quinn grasped the girl's hand and squeezed it as a thank you. Rachel understood and nodded with a small sad smile.

The bell ringing from the door broke the trance, and Rachel pulled her hand out of Quinn's as the waiter approached the table. Quinn immediately missed the warmth.

"Are you two all finished?" the waiter asked.

The two nodded, and the man grabbed their cups. After leaving the money and a generous tip, they decided to go home. Quinn held the door open for Rachel, and the pair walked out into the cold.

It was still snowing, and, in the corner of her eye, Quinn saw Rachel shiver. Without thinking, Quinn linked her arm with Rachel's, instantly feeling a rush of heat. Rachel smiled softly as they continued to walk in silence. It was a comfortable stillness, a sort of tranquility neither girl had felt before.

They arrived at Rachel's tiny car and Quinn, as always, opened the door for Rachel. Rachel blushed, hoping it was hidden by the darkness.

It wasn't, but Quinn didn't say anything. She started the car, put on her iPod, and pulled out of the parking lot. With the heat on full blast, Quinn began to feel sleepy, not realizing how tired she actually was. Rachel smiled at the tired blonde and changed the song to her favorite winter song, White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes.

She heard Quinn sigh.

"God, I love this song," Quinn said quietly as she gazed out the window, her breath leaving white circles on the glass.

"I wouldn't have guessed that you listen to this kind of stuff," Quinn remarked as Rachel stopped at a stop sign.

Rachel laughed softly.

"Well, there is a lot more to me than show tunes," she said lightly, not meaning any insult.

"I know, Rachel," Quinn whispered, turning now to face her.

For a brief moment, Rachel took her eyes off of the road and gazed at Quinn. She saw the honesty in her eyes.

"Rachel, I'm so happy we did this. There is so much I want to learn about you. I want to… make up for lost time, I guess."

Rachel nodded and smiled.

"Me too, Quinn."

They proceeded to Quinn's home. The window wipers hypnotized the tired blonde and before she knew it the car came to a halt, and Rachel was looking at her.

"Quinn?"

Quinn blinked out of her daze.

"Sorry. Oh, we're here," she said sadly, not really wanting to leave Rachel's company.

She looked at the clock. It was much later than she thought it was. Had they really spent three hours together? It had felt like five minutes.

"I guess I should…" Quinn began.

"Wait!" Rachel said loudly, "I'll walk you to the door."

Quinn smiled.

"Okay."

They exited the car and met each other at the beginning of the pathway. Sam was probably watching.

Quinn took Rachel's hand and slowly walked towards the front door. The porch light shined brightly and illuminated Rachel's tanned skin and her bright brown eyes.

She was beautiful.

Suddenly, Quinn's eyes landed on a pair of soft, plump lips. Subconsciously she wet her own lips, never wanting to kiss someone so much in her life.

Rachel's breath blew over her, the scent of green tea overwhelming her senses. It was all too much. It was all too fast. Quinn closed her eyes, trying to get a hold of herself, and a familiar soft hand brush over her cheek. Her heart stopped, and she opened her eyes, meeting the gaze of the beautiful brunette.

Their lips were so close, on the verge of touching. Quinn's head was screaming no, but her heart was winning. She felt her heart begin to race faster and faster as the distance between them began to close.

Quinn's hand moved to Rachel's hips, and pulled her nearer into her body. She had to be as close to Rachel as possible.

Just as their lips were about to touch, Quinn heard the doorknob turn. Her body froze, her eyes suddenly filled with panic. Rachel, sensing her panic, simply pulled the Quinn into her arms, as close as she possibly could, and whispered three words into her ear.

"You deserve more."

Quinn felt her throat close, the tears threatening to fall. She nodded and squeezed the girl in her arms, never wanting to let go. Then, the door opened, and Rachel flew out of her arms.

"Sam!" Rachel said loudly, trying to control herself.

"Rachel," he said suspiciously. "How was coffee? Must have been good I mean you drank it for three hours."

"It was lovely. Thank you, Rachel. I had a great time," Quinn said sincerely.

Rachel smiled.

"As did I," she said softly before turning to leave.

"Sam, can you give me one second with Rachel… alone?"

Sam consented reluctantly. Quinn walked back to Rachel and hugged her once more.

"I really did have a lovely time, Rachel. Thank you for everything."

Rachel nodded pulled out of the hug, brushing a strand of hair out of Quinn's face.

"You are beautiful, Quinn Fabray," Rachel said quietly, before turning to leave.

Quinn grabbed her hand, stopping her motion, and squeezed it once more before turning to leave. Rachel smiled and turned back to her car.

Quinn stood still in the cold, watching Rachel drive away into the night, snow falling heavier and heavier on her. After the car was out of sight, she turned back to her house. A feeling of dread overwhelmed her, but she took a deep breath and walked back to her home, back to her husband.