A.N.: yeah, I know, another update…but it'll be the last one for now I swear! I'm working on the next chapters and it might be a while until I can post them so hopefully the last three updates will suffice until then. As promised, this one's a very lengthy chapter. To those wondering how on earth could Rachel fit Quinn, her cousin, their security team AND her own guests at the house they're staying at, don't forget that Rachel's family comes from money. So a typical holiday home in her case would be the equivalent to a mansion complete with guest and pool houses.
A.N. 2: I've never been to Cairns (although I would definitely love to) so I just based everything on what I've read online. Oh and some jealousy speed bumps ahead, but nothing that's too concerning. Usual other disclaimers apply and all mistakes are mine.
A.N. 3:I've edited this chapter since it's been brought to my attention that I was using an offensive term when describing Tina. I meant no harm with it at all, it was simply an adjective used to describe a specific physical trait. Still, I sincerely apologize if I offended anyone when that really wasn't my intention at all.
Chapter 10: Birds and a Devil
Rachel watched from the barbecue grill as Quinn and her friends played a loud game of Trivial Pursuit, Star Wars Classic Edition. Yet another thing the girl had surprised her with.
Who knew that the Princess of Wales was an avid follower of the Force? she thought with a chuckle as Quinn whooped in victory after getting another question right.
The first surprise, of course, was the blonde (okay, make that two blondes) arriving at her doorstep – a week earlier than expected. After months of settling for conversations over the phone and e-mails, though those were enjoyable, she and Quinn had finally made plans to meet up. Quinn's summer vacation was coming up and it had coincided nicely with the break Rachel had before the start of filming for her next movie, so what better time than to set up a rendezvous? They were originally to meet up at Cairns Airport before heading down to the sprawling beach house Rachel's aunt had free for use. The brunette had already set out arrangements two weeks in advance so that there would be less hassle, so it wasn't like she was caught off-guard preparations-wise. Nonetheless, Quinn arriving a week ahead of schedule still threw her for quite a loop.
The reason for the other girl's sudden arrival was fairly simple really. Quinn had been spending the beginning of her summer break at Lena Downs, a safari reserve in Northern Kenya owned by the famed conservationist Craig family. Their daughter Jessica, or Jecca for short, who was a good friend of the blonde's (and long-rumored past girlfriend), had invited Quinn and her cousin Zara to spend part of their holidays there. They were originally set to stay for three weeks, but after the first week, Quinn found herself missing and aching to see the brunette, and so decided to cut her visit short (much to Jecca's disappointment) and took the next available flight out to Cairns.
Impulsive?
Maybe. But not if you've had to wait nearly five long months to finally be re-acquainted with the one person who's inhabited your daily thoughts and dreams. Quinn didn't tell Rachel that last bit of course. Not that she had to. Zara took it upon herself to relay to the brunette (and anybody else who'd listen) how miserable her cousin was at the ranch sanctuary and what a pile of nerves she'd been throughout the entire thirty-plus-hour flight to Cairns.
"Charming little thing, isn't she?" the aforementioned cousin cut through Rachel's thoughts. Rachel frowned and turned to the blonde. "Pardon?"
Zara only sniggered at the apparently distracted brunette. She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head towards Quinn. "Quinn, my cousin? I swear to God if we weren't related or if not for the fact that she's Europe's most eligible bachelorette, I would've disowned her Star Wars loving arse a long time ago." She let out an exhausted sigh and shook her head. "If only they knew."
"I like Star Wars," Rachel immediately went to the other blonde's defense, feeling a bit slighted herself. I mean, come on. Who doesn't like Star Wars?
"Enough to know what Chewbacca's homeworld is and what Wookiee language they use?"
"Kashyyyk and Shyriiwook," Rachel answered easily.
"Riiight," Zara allowed her other eyebrow to join the first and shook her head dismissively. "If you two aren't made for each other, then I don't know what is," she muttered under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," she brushed off casually. She continued to eye Rachel, who was inconspicuously trying to eye Quinn, who she also observed, had been keenly regarding the brunette for the past hour or so as well. Zara shook her head again at both girls' blatant ogling of the other and quietly sighed. Seriously, and everyone says she was the doltish one in the family. Anyone with eyes could see how much these two had it bad for the other. Heck, even the blind would be perceptive enough to the accompanying cloud of tension trailing in their wake. I guess I really do have my work cut out for me, she thought wistfully.
The first time she had heard about Rachel Berry, or rather Rachel Berry's connection with her cousin, was a good four and a half months ago when that infamous picture of them together at the charity polo fundraiser graced all those magazine and tabloid headlines. At first she had laughed it off along with every other member of the royal family (Quinn included), but then she began to notice the subtle differences in Quinn's behavior whenever the brunette actress was mentioned around her. Like how her face would just instantly light up and her eyes would sort of sparkle and their normally muted hazel color would lighten to a more cheerful shade of green with bright specks of gold. Initially she had chalked it up to the blonde suffering from nothing more than a severe case of star struck, but when Brittany and Santana – Quinn's university friends – had informed her of her cousin's constant spacing off and daydreaming at the mere mention of the brunette's name, her suspicions had multiplied tenfold.
Those suspicions were only further encouraged when they were at the Craig family ranch. She had observed how Quinn wore a pretense of enjoyment to mask her apparent indifference while in the presence of their hosts, but when she'd just spent some time, no matter how brief, with Rachel over the phone or had received an e-mail or text message from the girl, she'd wear this really goofy grin and she'd be extra peppy.
And now, after watching her physically interact with the brunette, her inkling about her cousin's maybe feelings were proven true. And it seems they didn't go one way either, seeing as Rachel couldn't seem to keep her eyes off Quinn either. Now all she had to do was get Quinn to come clean about her infatuation and then maybe they can orchestrate some sort of plan to woo the other girl (Rachel) into admitting her feelings out loud as well.
"Well, I'm just going to go over there and join the rest of the Jedi Union," she heaved out a sigh. She looked down, smirked and then leaned closer to stage whisper to Rachel, "You might want to turn those over."
"Shit!" Rachel exclaimed upon looking down herself and seeing (and smelling) the burnt smoke wafting over the hamburger patties she had been meticulously grilling to perfection for the past fifteen minutes.
Upon that exclamation, Zara left the frazzled brunette to fuss over the now slightly overdone burgers and sauntered over to the main group. Oh, yes. This was definitely going to be a fun summer.
Don't look up. She's looking at you. Don't look up. Quinn chanted her mantra in her head when she felt a certain pair of brown eyes focus on her from across the veranda. Unable to control herself any longer, she cast a subtle glance up, and sure enough there was Rachel looking up at her from the barbecue grill.
She's looking at me, Quinn felt her heart do a back flip. Or she could just be watching you and her friends make absolute buggers out of yourselves while playing Trivial Pursuit, she grumbled internally. Why did she agree on playing this game again? She looked down at her scorecard and grinned. Because you're the longstanding champion and you're wiping everybody's arse on the floor with it!
After getting another question right (and hearing the entire table grumble in disbelief), she looked over to Rachel and the grill with a triumphant smile, which was wiped away almost immediately when she saw the person who was standing next to the brunette and making idle conversation with. Bollocks, her hazel eyes widened in trepidation. She quickly turned her attention elsewhere when a pair of blue orbs flicked to her line of sight as well.
Great. I just hope Zara doesn't go blabbering about anything further embarrassing on my account, Quinn grumbled internally, still feeling the mortification of her cousin's revelations to everyone about her nervousness and eagerness over their trip and being able to see Rachel again. Although the brunette seemed to take it none to disconcertingly, it was nevertheless still a bit humiliating and she hoped the other girl wasn't put too off by it.
So far it had been two days since she and Zara had arrived and they had been enjoying their stay at the quiet and peaceful beach cosmopolitan. Just that morning they had gone cruising on the Great Barrier Reef where they snorkeled and marveled at the picturesque marine park, and they had spent most of the other day just shopping and touring around town.
She and Zara were having the time of their life. The locals didn't pay much attention to them, save for maybe a few quick stares and glances which Quinn was sure were more directed at Rachel anyway. But other than that, it had been pure bliss for the two royals. It was like St. Andrews, except far more relaxing. They didn't have to worry much about the paparazzi or avid fan encounters since, by reputation, the city as a whole couldn't really care less if you were the Prime Minister or the Queen herself. So there she and Zara would be, roaming the city streets and the malls without so much as a baseball cap or a pair of sunglasses on and people didn't even take notice of them. For Quinn, the anonymity and complete freedom was pure heaven. And everybody – whether it be a street vendor, a salesperson or a passerby – was so friendly and hospitable. No wonder Rachel loved vacationing there so much.
Speaking of the girl, Quinn still found it a little hard to believe that she was finally in the same vicinity as the brunette after months of being away – practically on the other side of the globe – from her.
Before she could go off into another tangent of Rachel daydreaming, she was jarred out of them when she felt a body plop down heavily next to her on the couch. She looked up and was immediately greeted by the grinning mischief of her cousin's twinkling blue eyes. She raised an eyebrow in silent question as if to ask 'What?' and received a knowing smirk and shrug in reply. She knew her cousin was just looking to get a rise out of her (like she had constantly been doing over the past couple of days), so she merely rolled her eyes at the blonde's impishness, deciding it was better to write Zara's teasing off and pay attention to the game in front of her instead.
Yeah, like that'll happen, especially now that she was itching with anxiety to know what exactly the other blonde could have divulged to Rachel and vice versa. Stop it Quinn, she berated herself. Don't let her get under your skin. At least not now and in front of everybody. God knows a repeat performance of your pathetic blathering and stuttering goldfish impression is what you need to happen again.
After a few more minutes of being subjected to Quinn's avoidance tactic, Zara finally broke her silence and sighed loudly to the group. "So, what are the plans for the night?" she asked around the circle. "Though the nightly barbecues and s'more roasting have been delightful, I was thinking we could all go out and hit some of the clubs?"
"Totally," Kurt, who was sitting directly across the blonde duo, nodded in agreement. "Ooh, I know! We could take out a ferry ride to Fitzroy Island and spend the night," he suggested eagerly. "They have a fantastic night club up there."
"I don't know. It's kind of a little too far away," Tina butted in. "Not to mention they're still having some renovations done on most part of the island anyway."
"Well, what about the food festival over at the Esplanade?" Jesse threw in.
"Food festival?" Quinn asked, looking up from the game, intrigued.
"Yeah. Actually, it's more of a food and wine festival," Jesse explained. "Most of the local restaurants join in and it usually kicks off right around 4pm and lasts well into the night."
"Plus there's this massive stage at the center promenade where all these crazy stuff happens," Mercedes added, thinking pensively for a moment. "I heard they have Silverchair and The Veronicas playing tonight."
"Seriously?" Quinn asked excitedly. She was a massive fan of both bands and she'd been dying for the longest time to see them play live.
Hmm... Rachel, Silverchair, The Veronicas and dining under the stars? That definitely sounded like an excellent prospect if she ever heard one, Quinn thought dreamily.
"Yep, it's tons of fun," Jesse continued while Mercedes and the other girls nodded.
"Plus we can go clubbing right after," Mercedes told Zara. "Everything wraps up by 11pm anyways."
"Sounds good to me," Zara nodded in agreement after considering it for a moment. She turned to her cousin and raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you think?"
"I think it's a great idea," Quinn acquiesced with a nod.
"What's a great idea?" Rachel asked, catching the tail end of the conversation, as she walked up to the table carrying two trays of freshly-grilled hotdogs and burgers in either hand.
"Food fest over at the Esplanade tonight," Tina answered as the brunette moved to the center of the circle and placed both trays of sandwiches down. As soon as she did so, it only took a matter of a few seconds before everything was scooped up.
Rachel shook her head at the display and took her seat next to Kurt and nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, hey, yeah. I totally forgot it was starting today." She grabbed the remaining veggie burger on the table and fought off a grimace when she took a sizable bite and found it to have the patty with the most burnt side. Figures I'd be the one to end up with it, she thought as the ashy flavor hit her taste buds. She forcefully swallowed the chunk before turning to her friends. "Aren't Silverchair and The Veronicas playing tonight?"
"Yes and yes," Kurt answered with a giddy nod, his cheeks slightly puffed as he worked on a mouthful of hotdogs. "Ooh! VIP passes!"
"Oh God," Sam moaned from behind his burger.
"Not again," Jesse grumbled as well. "Please, no more VIP passes."
"Why? What's wrong?" Quinn and Zara asked at the same time.
"The last time these two were given VIP passes to a concert they practically mauled the group," Jesse explained, pointing to Mercedes and Kurt.
"Yeah, meanwhile Rachel took on a sudden state of catatonia," Sam snickered and dodged a cushion projectile Rachel hurled from across the table. "She practically fainted when she shook hands with them."
"You'd be star struck too if you got to meet Aerosmith backstage!" Rachel defended, preparing to launch another pillow at him.
"You nearly fainted?" Quinn asked incredulously, a grin tugging at her lips.
"Two words, Quinn: Steven Tyler," Rachel lobbied, her eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Weren't you co-stars with Liv Tyler in that movie though?" Zara asked, thoroughly amused.
"Well, yeah, but I never actually met her family," the brunette retorted. She turned to Jesse and Sam who were still snickering maniacally. "And besides, you two should talk. If I recall correctly, wasn't it you who was peeing in his pants, St. James? Not to mention Mr. All-Star here who just about threw up when Joe Perry signed his backstage pass," she smirked at the two boys who blushed a bright red and the entire table burst into hysterics.
"Moving along," Tina mediated before the discussion could turn ugly. "Is that a nay or a yay on the festival?"
"Definitely a yay," Kurt voted and the rest of the group nodded as well.
"All right then," Tina clapped her hands and stood up. "I'll go arrange for our tickets and hopefully make reservations for our usual table plus four."
"Reservations?" Quinn queried after Tina left and went inside the main house to make the necessary arrangements.
"Yeah, it gets a little crazy come dinner time," Rachel explained. "Especially now with those two bands playing tonight. People tend to get a little rowdy when it comes to getting the best seats in the house."
"I see," Quinn nodded understandably, though feeling a little ill at ease at the prospect of having to fight her way through a massive crowd of concert-goers.
Rachel, having spotted the worrying mar on the other girl's features, reached over and gave the blonde's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. I'll protect you from any bum rush." She winked and returned Quinn's answering shy smile with one of her own. Before they could get carried away in each other's gaze, however, Tina reappeared, the cordless phone attached to her ear.
"Yeah, okay. Thank you so much, Stephen," she said before ending the call. "Okay, everything's set. We ought to leave around five-ish to make the late afternoon rush. It's currently a quarter past two," she continued, glancing down at her wristwatch. "That's roughly three hours left to get ready, which I'm sure is more than enough time." She quickly looked around the group and eyed each one of them. "So if any of you slow pokes don't have your asses down here by that time, we're leaving your sorry butts home, kapeesh?"
A collective murmur of yes's went around and Tina nodded in satisfaction. They were all aware, even Zara who had just been acquainted with the girl, of how particular the brunette was about punctuality, so they knew better than to test her threat.
"Awesome," Rachel grinned widely, letting go of Quinn's hand as she moved to stand up from her seat.
Quinn frowned a bit at the loss of contact but quickly covered it up with an excited grin of her own. After helping clear the table, she along with everybody else made their way inside the house, one thought reverberating in her mind: A night of drinking, eating, music and dancing. Oh it was going to be a good evening indeed.
"Having fun?" Rachel asked from across the table.
It was past 7 o'clock and they were in the middle and least crowded section of the promenade at the Esplanade, occupying two joined long tables and enjoying some local food offerings such us yabbies (small freshwater lobsters), roast suckling pig, tiger prawns, a selection of Asian-infused dishes and bowls of baked Macadamia nuts plus a few bottles of specialty wine to down everything with. The entire foreshore was blocked up and converted into a dining area runway and was surrounded by several food stands serving all sorts of local and international food ranging from grilled seafood to barbecued pork and meat. At the very center of the boardwalk, there was an erected stage holding most of the night's entertainment.
"The time of my life," Quinn replied over the bustling of the happy dining crowd. People from all walks of life were there. Most of the attendees consisted of groups of friends but Quinn pleasantly noted that several handfuls of families were also at hand. Everybody was enjoying themselves. People were drinking, dining, sharing stories and basically having a wonderful evening as they all watched the unfolding program of the night.
"I'm glad," Rachel smiled, happy that the blonde was enjoying herself. "Zara?"
"Brilliant," was all the other royal said as she held her drink up in a toast.
"Do this many people come every year?" Quinn inquired, looking around at the throngs of people enjoying their meal out in the open air under the stars.
"As far as I know, yeah," Rachel replied. "But then again, when does food and music not bring people together?"
"Tell me again what that's supposed to be?" Zara asked, pointing to the stage where two 2-member groups of ponytailed scantily dressed gay men stood opposite of each other along with the emcees.
"Oh, it's some sort of boxing fight." Rachel craned her neck to get a good view of the sparring men. "This is round two I think."
"This is awesome, isn't it?" Kurt piped up. "Only here in Cairns at a food festival is witnessing four gay men jump and take a go at each other considered as quality family entertainment." Everyone at the table laughed at the boy's witticism as they looked on and watched the said four gay men punch and knock each other out.
"Oh my God," Quinn continued to gush as their car carried them to their next destination. It was now a little after 11 o'clock and after the concert and program at the Esplanade drew to a close, the group headed off to Rachel and her friends' usual club haunt, 1936, over at the Reef Casino.
"I still can't believe I met Daniel Johns and The Veronicas," she brought both hands up to her cheeks and sighed dreamily. "I'm never washing my face again."
"Okay, first of all, ew!" Rachel laughed at the glazed look on the blonde's face. "Second of all, why are you acting like a hyped up twelve-year-old at her first Spice Girls concert? I mean, you have met other celebrities before, right?"
"Yes, but, Silverchair and The Veronicas..." Quinn asserted, still looking starry-eyed. "Daniel Johns, Rachel. Daniel Johns and both Jess and Lisa kissed me."
"You have to excuse our royal highness. She's had a ginormous crush on Daniel and the sisters since forever," Zara mocked and rolled her eyes at the wistful expression her cousin sported. "Though I really have to wonder why. I mean, I can understand the girls, but the man has the talent of a thirteen-year-old Kurt Cobain wannabe."
"Says the girl who used to crush on Justin Timberlake while listening to N-Sync," Quinn threw back, temporarily coming down from her high.
"I was young and stupid," Zara sighed dramatically. "But you have to admit, that man is looking extra fit nowadays."
Quinn snorted. "Uh, yes, sure. If you're into mouseketeers."
"Didn't I read somewhere that you used to have a crush on Britney Spears?" Rachel interjected teasingly.
"Used to being the operative word," Quinn answered with a roll of her eyes. "You know, back when she used to care for personal hygiene and wasn't a stoned, head-shaving divorcee of Vanilla Ice reincarnated with a penchant for crotch flashing." She theatrically echoed her cousin's earlier sentiment with a solemn shake of her head. "What can I say? I was young and stupid."
The entire group laughed in agreement.
"We all were, Quinn. We all were." Jesse concurred from the front seat. He looked ahead and saw the looming architecture of the glass dome rooftop of the Casino. "Ah, home sweet home."
After a rather attentive valet tried valiantly to park their car only to be shunned away by Marco, Rachel's hulk of a driver, the group was quickly ushered inside the hotel.
"Miss Berry, my, it's nice to see you out here again. How's the family back home?" the concierge greeted Rachel cordially after spotting them enter the Casino.
"Hey Nicholas. It's good to be back here again. The family's great. Fathers' still a bit of a pain, but otherwise tolerable." She grinned and turned around and gestured to her friends. "Of course, you know these guys."
"Hey, Nick." Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Sam and Jesse greeted him.
"Sure do," Nicholas winked at them in reply.
"And these are my other friends." Rachel turned to the two royals. "This is Quinn and her cousin Zara."
"A pleasure to meet you both," Nicholas greeted them charmingly with kisses on the cheek. "So are we here for sport or pleasure?" he asked as he led them through the lobby.
"Pleasure I'm afraid," Rachel smiled at him. "Dad and daddy weren't exactly that thrilled about my last sporting exploit," she chuckled, briefly recalling the monumental harangue she and her friends had received particularly from her parents and William after reports of their casino activities made the magazine rounds last year.
"Ah, 'tis a pity then," Nicholas laughed good-naturedly. They finally approached 1936's entrance and Nicholas waved for the bouncer to allow them to pass. Once inside the nightclub, they were almost immediately drowned by the loud pulsating beat of dance and techno music.
"How on earth are we going to find a place to sit around here?" Zara shouted to be heard above the din.
"Not a problem," Tina replied. "I've already made reservations for us, remember?"
Soon enough, Nicholas had led them to a vacant booth near one the bars. After receiving his thanks, he disappeared back into the mass of gyrating bodies. After they were settled, Kurt, Mercedes and Zara went straight to the dance floor with Jesse and Sam, leaving Quinn, Rachel and Tina behind in the booth. People walked by the brunette and smiled, or waved as if they knew her personally.
"Rachel Berry, right?" A female in her early twenties came up to her.
"That is me," Rachel smiled warmly.
"My friends over there," the woman pointed to a table where everyone waved back when Rachel looked their way, "We were kinda hoping we could get a picture of you and your autograph."
"Um," Rachel looked at Quinn and Tina. "How about in a while?"
"No, go." Quinn whispered in her ear and Rachel felt a shiver run down her spine. Quinn pulled back and gave her a coy grin. "First rule in the celebrity handbook: never keep the public waiting."
"Oh, you mean like you usually do?" Rachel shot back jokingly and chuckled at Quinn's answering eye roll. "Fine. I'll be right back." She said as she got up and followed the woman to her table.
Shortly after, a barmaid came to get their drink order and inform them of the menu for the evening. While Tina relayed their orders, Quinn took the time to watch Rachel make introductions and small talk with the group. She saw how friendly the brunette was with strangers, strangers that look at her everyday in her movies and in their magazines or whatever else they have. Rachel laughed with the gang, as if they were old friends, which brought a smile to Quinn's face. Watching Rachel like others, even though she didn't have the slightest clue who they were.
"So, how are you enjoying your stay here so far?" Tina asked breaking into her reverie.
"Immensely, actually," Quinn answered with a smile, shifting her gaze momentarily from the brunette. "It's insanely beautiful down here and the people are amazingly friendly."
"So unlike the hustle and bustle of London, huh?" Tina chuckled.
"Definitely," Quinn nodded vigorously. "It kind of reminds me of St. Andrews."
"Ah, St. Andrews," Tina nodded back. "So how are things over there? I heard you're shifting majors?"
"Yes, umm, I finally decided geography was far better suited for me than arts history," Quinn replied with a small laugh. "I guess traveling and exploring the world seemed a far better prospect than being stuck indoors studying hundred-year-old art memorabilia," she joked.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Actually, Rachel had the same exact dilemma you did last year," Tina revealed.
Quinn perked up a bit. That was news to her. "Really?"
"Yeah," Tina nodded and turned her gaze to Rachel, who was still busy sharing small talk with her admirers. "She contemplated for a while whether or not to shift to Russian Literature."
"Huh," was all Quinn muttered as she sat back in her seat, her brain slowly digesting that bit of information. Rachel with a sexy Russian accent, Quinn's eyes practically glazed over at the thought. As if that weren't stimulating enough, her eyes flickered over just in time to see Rachel bend over to pick up a pen. The way those jeans cupped her ass perfectly. Oh God, Quinn gulped. Why must you torture me so? Just as her thoughts were veering into dirtier territory, she was roused out of them by Tina's voice.
"She loves reading and was always fascinated by Russian culture, so she weighed on that for the better part of the first semester before finally deciding that a career in psychology was a far more practical course, especially since she could easily relate it to acting." Tina smiled at the barmaid from earlier as their drinks were laid out in front of them. "I don't know. Sometimes I think she's just doing it for her parents' sake, but then again she's always seemed really happy with everything." She turned to Quinn and gave her a small smile. "Maybe I'm just reading too much into things, but I just want her to be happy, you know?"
"No, I get that," Quinn agreed wholeheartedly. "You just want what's best for your best friend. It's completely understandable."
A silence fell over the table as they separately contemplated that statement. For Quinn, it was a relief. Not that she wasn't enjoying talking to Tina, it was the complete opposite really. She loved hearing and finding out new things about Rachel, especially from the people that knew her as well as Tina did. But that was just the thing. Tina was one of Rachel's longest and dearest friends, and Quinn felt that if the conversation went on a little further, she'd end up saying the wrong thing and offend the other girl. Not to mention embarrass herself, especially seeing as where her last train of thought was headed straight to. That she definitely did not want. Even if she figured she might not have the slightest of chances with the brunette, she wanted to impress Rachel's friends and get on with them. She wanted to be a part of the other girl's life, and she knew if the situation were reversed, she'd also want her friends to get along with the brunette. Although that wasn't a problem anyway since every one of Quinn's friends and family - yes, including her grandmother who finally came around after three months of persuading on Quinn's part proving the brunette's worth - absolutely adored Rachel.
Unbeknownst to Quinn, Tina was also ruminating over the same thing. Over the past few months she saw a change in her best friend. She'd been having a sinking suspicion for a while now that Rachel's feelings for her newly acquired royal 'bestie' were anything short of platonic even if the brunette denied it on a consistent basis. Rachel may be one of the industry's most talented and respected actresses, but when it came down to it, she was as easy to read as a paperback book so long as you know how and where to look between the lines. And as of late, those lines were all but screaming "Help me I'm falling!" out loud, but Tina knew better than to coral the brunette into confessing so she let the girl continue on with her silent daydreaming knowing that when she felt she was ready, Rachel would come to her instead. It would just take a little bit of patience, is all.
Which was why she had been keeping a close eye on the blonde royal since her arrival several days ago.
She knew Rachel was afraid of falling and having her heart broken, so as her best friend, it was her sworn duty to make damn sure that the girl's current object of affections wouldn't end up being her Achilles' heel. But with what she had gathered so far, it seemed she had very little to worry about. It wasn't exactly obvious, but she could tell that her best friend wasn't the only one who was harboring a crush.
She had observed the way Quinn would try to discreetly sneak glances at Rachel when she thought no one was looking. She saw the way the blonde would instantly perk up any time Rachel was mentioned and how the other girl directed all her attention to the brunette whenever Rachel spoke. It was incredibly endearing, actually. And she somehow knew that it wasn't some fickle thing for the blonde either. She couldn't exactly explain it, but she was confident enough to know that whatever Quinn felt for her best friend was genuine and not just a passing celebrity infatuation. Now the only problem was how was she going to go about bringing the two together without overstepping her bounds?
While both girls reflected upon their thoughts, Rachel finally finished signing autographs and taking pictures with the group of girls and was now making her way back to the two blondes. She plopped herself down in-between Quinn and Tina and dramatically raised a hand to her forehead. "The things someone as famous as I have to put up with," she joked. She then grinned widely at the array of cocktail drinks lined up on their table and picked up her favorite drink. "So, anything exciting happen while I was gone?"
Quinn and Tina shared a glance and merely smiled before shaking their head in unison.
"O-kay," Rachel eyed both girls closely before deciding to shake their weirdness off.
"This place is mad," Zara proclaimed, plopping herself beside Quinn and leaning over her. She and Mercedes had now joined the other three after a rather sweaty dance number to cool down a little.
"It's nice," Quinn replied evenly and snuck a quick look at Rachel who was happily enjoying her raspberry mojito. She was sipping the drink using the little straw, and Quinn's eyes were locked on her lips, as they parted slowly, touched the straw, encircling it before she sucked lightly. Quinn felt arousal sweep through her body at the simple gesture.
"God, this has got to be the best mojito I've had in like, ever," the brunette practically moaned, licking her lips. Quinn, who was trying hard to keep her hormones in check, quickly dropped her eyes and leaned over to Zara. "I'm going to head to the restroom."
"What?" Zara yelled over the music.
"I said I'm going to go to the bathroom," Quinn replied in a louder voice so that Zara could hear her.
"Oh, okay," Zara nodded. Rachel turned to watch Quinn get up and start threading through the now thickening crowd. "Where-"
"Bathroom," Zara said.
Quinn stood in front of the bathroom mirror staring at her reflection. She had been relieved to find that there was a separate restroom for VIP guests aside from the main one that had a long queue of girls waiting for their turn. She was definitely not in the mood to mix and mingle so that had been a relief. The many perks of being famous, she mused. Her thoughts then went back to Rachel and she could feel her entire body shivering just a bit. Who knew that something as innocent as sipping a drink could look so... erotic. And the way she moaned...
Quinn closed her eyes, already getting lost in thoughts of how the other girl would look and feel and sound like underneath her... moaning in ecstasy as she had her hands all over her tight, beautiful...
Okay! Calm yourself down, Quinn!
She took a deep calming breath and exhaled slowly, shaking her head as if she wanted those thoughts out of it. She reached for the tap on the sink in front of her and turned it on. She then splashed freezing cold water in her face.
After drying her face clean, she glanced back at her reflection in the mirror and took another deep breath. Okay, it's going to be a long night and you'll probably need a bit more alcohol in your system to loosen up more and not feel like a hormonal sixteen-year-old boy every time you're around Rachel, she told her reflection. Get it together, Fabray!
Satisfied with her pep talk, she turned to the exit and left the room with renewed spirits. On the way back to the main floor, she was too busy thinking of ways to control herself, she didn't even notice that she was about to crash into someone.
"Watch it," a female voice said sharply.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry." Quinn looked up and found herself face to face with long, golden hair and luminescent green eyes.
The scowl on the woman's face quickly turned into a seductive smirk as she took in the blonde princess' appearance. The woman was attractive, and made no secret of her appreciation for Quinn's form. Her eyes went slowly down Quinn's Jimmy Choo-clad feet and back up. Quinn flushed red at the woman's open rubbernecking. She took an inaudible gulp and cleared her throat ready to make another apology when the blonde-haired woman cut her off.
"Well, I'm not," the blonde purred.
She gulped again and her eyes darted around, looking for an escape route.
"I'm Rebecca," the woman continued and held out a hand.
Quinn tentatively shook it and introduced herself hesitantly, "Uh, Lucy," she fumbled. Well it was one of her names.
"Lucy," the other blonde smirked and licked her lips. "Well, since you already offered an apology for nearly sending me flying to the dance floor, how about I buy you a drink to ease your mind a little more?"
"Uh..." Quinn said, leaning back into the nearby wall as the woman leaned into her, reaching up and stroking her arm once before finally resting her hand at Quinn's elbow. A waiter passed them and inadvertently hit them both on the shoulder, but the blonde seemed to pay no attention to it, instead fixing her stare more firmly into Quinn. As the waiter mumbled an apology and left, Quinn followed his retreating figure with wide, desperate eyes.
No, no, no… please don't leave me here with her!
Any other day, she could have just as easily fended off the blonde's advances, but the looks she was giving her coupled with her earlier thoughts about Rachel and, well, Quinn was only human after all and was rendered near speechless and rooted to her spot. That was, until a familiar voice came to her rescue.
"Hey..." Rachel's distinct rasp said, spurning herself into action as she crossed to Quinn's side. She had been on her way to the bathroom when she saw the blonde being held up in the corner alcove by the rather aggressive woman and she could see from Quinn's expression that her advances were decidedly not welcomed at all. "There you are sweetie." She reached over and took Quinn's right hand with her left, careful to interlace their fingers. She was more than ready to bitch out at the other blonde when she caught the girl's eyes and her defensive stance immediately softened. "Oh my God, Rebecca?"
Quinn looked on as the taller blonde squinted under the lighting before recognition dawned on her face. "Rachel Berry?" she exclaimed with a smile.
"What are you doing here?" they both asked at the same time. Quinn, now intensely confused of the situation, stood quietly on the side and watched as Rachel and the Rebecca girl exchange surprised shrieks before engulfing each other in a tight hug.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Rebecca asked Rachel, completely forgetting about Quinn at that moment.
"Film break," Rachel grinned widely. "What about you? I thought you were in Madrid doing that internship?"
"I needed a break," Rebecca replied just as giddily. "So I took a few weeks off. I'm not due back until next month."
Quinn cleared her throat, reminding the two girls in front of her that she was still there.
"Oh, God, I'm sorry," Rachel smiled apologetically. "Rebecca, this is Quinn. Quinn, Rebecca."
"Wait, Quinn?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you said your name was Lucy?"
"Uh, it is," Quinn quickly explained. "Well, it's my middle name. My first name is Quinn."
"Quinn," Rebecca allowed the name to roll off her tongue. "I like it." She then looked between Quinn and Rachel. "So you two are...?"
"No!" Rachel spoke quickly. A bit too quickly, actually, and Quinn frowned. Rachel caught the flash of hurt on Quinn's face and immediately felt like an ass. "I mean, uh, no, uh, we aren't, um dating," she explained, well, fumbled was more like it. Dating? she snorted internally. Yeah, only in my wildest and most vivid dreams!
"You aren't?" Rebecca asked, a bit confused.
"Um, yeah. That was, just uh, you know," Rachel continued to work her mouth, attempting to come up with a more coherent response. Thankfully, Rebecca saved her from the trouble.
"Oh, I see," Rebecca grinned knowingly. "The old she's-my-girlfriend-but-not-really trick to ward off any unwanted advances?"
"Yes, definitely," Rachel nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed but not really knowing why since she was just looking out for Quinn. Or at least that's what she told herself now because if you had asked earlier, the only thought running through her mind was: who was that bitch and why was she touching Quinn?
"I get it," Rebecca laughed, turning to face Quinn and casting her a sultry look, her eyes once again raking up and down the other blonde's form. "Plus, she's gorgeous." Rebecca continued, her eyes never taking off Quinn. "If she were my friend I'd probably be doing the same thing."
Quinn gulped and turned her gaze to Rachel's, her eyebrows scrunching a little at the look on the brunette's face. Okay, that's new, she thought to herself as she tried to decipher the expression Rachel wore. Was that... jealousy?
Rachel quickly averted her gaze from Quinn and turned to Rebecca. "So, uh, are you here alone?"
"Actually, no. I'm here with my cousin and her friends but," Rebecca craned her neck and looked around the club, "I can't seem to find them anywhere at the moment."
"You wanna join us?" No, no, no, Rachel what are you doing! "Mercedes and the others are here as well and I doubt they'd be happy if you didn't at least say hi."
"They are?" Rebecca looked around the club again. "I don't know, Rach. I wouldn't want to impose."
"Nonsense," Rachel waved her hand in the air. Before Rebecca could further protest, and despite her own subconscious screaming at her no, she grabbed the taller gil and Quinn's hand and dragged both blondes back to their table.
"Look who I found," she announced to the group and presented Rebecca.
"Oh my God, Rebecca!" Kurt and Mercedes shrieked, rushing up to the girl and hugging the life out of her.
"Hello girls," Rebecca laughed softly.
"Doth my eye deceive me? Rebecca Nicole Forrester, is that really you?" Jesse walked up to her and enveloped her in a hug as well.
"Dude, don't hog the poor girl," Sam grinned. "Come here you!"
Finally there was Tina, the milder tempered of the bunch, who simply flashed her a warm smile before kissing the blonde on the cheek and hugging her as well.
"And this is Zara," Rachel introduced the other blonde royal.
"Wait, Zara Phillips?" Rebecca's eyes went wide. She looked back at Quinn and if it were possible, her eyes became even wider. "And you're Quinn! Quinn Fabray! Oh my God!"
"Yes, that would be correct, Becs," Rachel laughed at the other girl's awestruck expression.
"Wait a minute." Rebecca looked between Rachel and Quinn. "When you said you two were just friends..." She squinted a bit, trying to figure out the real score behind the girls' relationship.
"Uh, yeah?" Rachel took her seat on the other side of the booth and cast an uneasy glance at Quinn.
"That's not exactly what people are saying," Rebecca insisted, taking the empty seat nearest to Quinn.
Rachel rolled her eyes. She briefly glanced at Quinn again and saw her face scrunch up uncomfortably. "Since when did you start believing in what other people are saying? You know they're just lies, anyway."
Rebecca raised her eyebrows, still a little unconvinced. "I don't know. I mean, what about those pictures? You two looked awfully cozy in those shots. And you know OK! Magazine never lies."
She knew the blonde was just teasing her, so Rachel shrugged it off as nonchalantly as possible. "Seriously, Becs. We're just friends." She caught Quinn's eyes and smiled, silently apologizing for the other girl's badgering.
"Mmm," Rebecca continued to eye both girls. "So you two aren't really…?"
"For the last time, Rebecca, no!" Rachel laughed, missing the downplayed hurt flash across Quinn's face at the too casual dismissal. "Quinn and I are good friends. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Fine, fine. No need to get your knickers up in a bunch," Rebecca laughed. Seeing that as her green light, she shifted a bit closer to the flushed royal and leaned forward on the table, propping her chin up on her hand. "So, your highness, does that mean you really are single?"
"Afraid so," Quinn forced a smile and shrugged.
"Huh," Rebecca drawled. "Now that I find hard to believe."
Quinn blushed and ducked her head. When she looked up again, Rebecca continued to hold her gaze, and she immediately recognized that predatory glint she saw from their earlier encounter.
Oh, boy. Here we go again. She gulped silently and wriggled awkwardly in her seat. Rachel, meanwhile, regarded both girls with terrible unease. Why, oh, why did she have to open her big mouth and invite Rebecca over here? The girl, albeit one of her closest friends, was a notorious man, well, womaneater and now she basically offered Quinn to the other blonde on a silver platter free for the taking. You're such an idiot, Berry, she berated herself not for the last time that night.
Unknown to the three (and the rest of the table), Zara and Tina had been watching the exchange with amused smirks, and one thought echoed between them – this was going to be an interesting night indeed.
The physical sensations of the next hour could have been more quickly and cheaply acquired by driving jagged, acid-tipped slivers of glass directly into Rachel's heart. Instead, she sat at the table and watched Quinn and Rebecca talk and dance. At least the music was fast—no full-body pressing. But that was painful, too. Sure, Quinn was a notoriously shy girl, but the blonde seemed to leave her insecurities behind when her body was in motion. Rachel sat miserably in a state of grief, rage, and belly-wrenching lust as she watched Quinn's sinuous movements.
It always has to be the quiet ones, Rachel observed, her nose scrunching up peevishly.
Rebecca obviously appreciated Quinn's physical gifts as well. She was perhaps two inches taller than Quinn, and Rachel could see the curve of Quinn's throat and jaw whenever she looked up slightly at the blonde Aussie. When Quinn danced with one hand resting on her belly, Rachel imagined how her skin was moving, swaying under that palm. When she occasionally brought her arms up, pulling her hair back, Rachel could only swallow heavily as Quinn's breasts pushed against her champagne halter, highlighting her silhouette.
The song ended, and Quinn and Rebecca made their way back to their seat, smiling softly.
Quinn plunked herself next to Rachel and smiled warmly. "So, when are you going to wow us with your awesome dance moves, Rach?"
"Uh, probably next to never," Rachel snorted. "I don't dance," she said simply. Truth was she of course loved to dance. She just wasn't in the mood, even for Quinn.
"Don't be ridiculous, of course she does," Rebecca grinned, taking a sip from her blue margarita. "She's a brilliant dancer. She's just too modest to own up to it."
"Is that right?" Quinn cocked an eyebrow.
"The only way either one of you are getting me to go down there is if I had at least ten more shots of these and drunk out of my mind," Rachel held up the brightly colored tube drink in her hand and waved it about.
"Well, what are we waiting for then? Waiter!" Quinn, a bit inebriated herself, flagged down a passing waiter and ordered more of the tubey drinks Rachel was having. Rachel, not at all feeling up to protesting, sank back in her seat and downed the remaining contents of her drink. She figured at the rate things were going, a couple more shots were definitely in order.
A while later, Rachel was downing her ninth tubey shot while gazing at Quinn discreetly, or as discreetly as a half-drunken person could. She liked feeling kind of light-headed, but she inwardly berated herself for drinking. Her body had now a mind of its own, and all she wanted to do was grab Quinn in a huge embrace and kiss her until she fainted. She had already caught her hand moving towards Quinn's thigh a couple of times and finally decided to clasp her hands in her lap securely. She felt the ache of having to restrain herself start again, and she swallowed audibly a fresh wave of sadness as she looked to Quinn's right where Rebecca had an arm draped around her seat possessively as she flirted with her.
So close, yet so far away.
The deep pulsating beat followed by the buzz saw of a distorted electric guitar broke through the dance floor, and Rachel blinked before flying out of her seat as the DJ started up another song. "I gotta dance to this one," she shouted to a stunned Quinn, grabbing the blonde's wrist and pulling her towards the dance floor. "Come on!"
"I thought you said there was no way we were getting you on the dance floor?" Quinn stumbled a bit and looked back at Rebecca whom she swore was glaring at them.
"I changed my mind," Rachel exclaimed, smiling over her shoulder at Quinn.
Quinn gulped but gamely followed the brunette through the sea of people, ending up amidst a mass of bodies, flashing lights and pulsating beats that seemed to come from everywhere. "What's with the sudden assertiveness? Not that I'm complaining."
From all the drugs the one I like more is music
From all the junks the one I need more is music
From all the boys the one I take home is music
From all the ladies the one I kiss is music…
"Sorry," Rachel yelled back, placing her hands on Quinn's waist to steady her. "You ok?"
Music is my boyfriend
Music is my girlfriend
Music is my dead end
Music is my imaginary friend
"Fine," Quinn grinned, her body beginning to move to the heavy bass and electric guitar riffs of its own accord. "Cansei De Ser Sexy, right?"
"Yeah, Music Is My Hot Hot Sex." Rachel returned the grin, and Quinn found herself nearly melting into a puddle of mush at the predatory look the brunette was sending her.
From all the drinks the one I get drunk is music
From all the bitches the one I wannabe is music
Rachel more felt than heard the music as she moved easily within the tiny amount of space the two had secured for themselves between the other clubbers. The vibration of the beats thrummed against her from all angles, aiding her in losing herself to the music and just dancing without thinking. She closed her eyes and smiled.
Music is my hot hot bath
Music is my hot hot sex
Music is my back rub
Music is where I'd like you to touch
The beat grew wilder, the lyrics sexier and sexier, and Rachel let herself go fully. She managed to get Quinn very close to her, hip to hip, one arm around her waist, swaying in time to the music. Little electric currents were running through Quinn's veins at the contact. Okaybreatheinbreatheoutbreatheinbreatheout. Her thoughts were bouncing around her head at a mile a minute. Geez, thank God I'm not a guy, or else there would most certainly be visible indications that she is driving me wild!
"You don't mind, do you?" Rachel asked, feeling her body react to the heat radiating off the other girl. Hoo boy, Berry. What the hell are you doing? You better stop before you end up doing something you'll regret. But she was getting sick and tired of holding back, not to mention she'd had to endure nearly an hour of Rebecca practically salivating after Quinn while the hazel-eyed blonde just sat there and took it happily. The abundant flow of alcohol in her veins clouding her better judgment wasn't helping matters any either, so she just allowed herself to bask in the moment and damn the consequences. At least for the time being. "This just doesn't seem like the type of song you dance to alone."
"Um, no. No minding here," Quinn blurted. Liar! You're going straight to Hell, Fabray."Perfectly fine with me."
"Good, then could you maybe put your arms around my waist or something? `Cause I think this is starting to look pretty silly."
"Hm?" Quinn glanced down and realized that Rachel was probably right. It would be a somewhat stupid display seeing two girls dancing together when one had her arms around the other's neck, and the other simply let her arms hang limply down her sides. "Oh! Right, I got it."
Quinn fought to relax as she let her arms come up and encircle the brunette's waist. This was so wrong. Rachel was obviously drunk, but damn it, it felt so right. Enough analyzing. Just let go already. Deal with the consequences if they arise. She was concentrating so hard on behaving herself that she barely noticed when the song had ended. Fingers snapped in front of her eyes, bringing her out of neverneverland.
"Hello? Earth to Quinn."
"Umm…sorry. I guess I got a little carried away there, huh?"
Rachel's laughter rang in Quinn's ears like tiny silver bells. "Not hardly. Come on, it's almost 1am. How about we hit another club? No sense in spending all our time in one place when we could be painting the town red."
"Um, yes, sure, of course." Quinn's eyes brightened as she thought, As long as I'd get to share another dance with you, I'll go to the bowels of hell and back.
Rachel, feeling a little dizzy from the head and adrenaline rush dancing so close to Quinn brought her, chuckled and shook her head. Once again acquiring Quinn's hand, they left the dance floor and joined their friends. They left 1936 and headed off to the other quintessential nightspots that awaited their arrival.
Nearly three and a half hours and around half a dozen clubs later, Rachel and her friends found themselves stumbling through the entrance of their borrowed beach house. Rebecca had separated from them at their second to the last club stop when they bumped into the blonde's cousin and friends. The Aussie native had given Quinn her number and told the blonde to give her a ring when she can. Thankfully, Rachel was already past borderline drunk at that point and hadn't seen the exchange, otherwise the brunette would have most likely ripped the green-eyed blonde a new one. At least that's what Tina feared would have happened had her best friend bore witness to the number swapping.
"Ugh," Tina moaned. "I am so beat up."
"Me too," Kurt groaned in response. "I can't wait for the pounding headache to start," he added sarcastically.
"Rach?" Quinn's voice eased into Rachel's subconscious.
"Yes?"
"How are you holding up?"
"Fine, just dandy," she replied groggily, her words slurring sloppily. Man, who was she kidding? She was plastered like hell. She tried to straighten herself up, but her jelly-like legs weren't feeling the most cooperative and she ended up slumping against a warm body for support.
Quinn, who had refrained from drinking too much, looked down at Rachel's sagging body being supported by her own. Even drunk she's gorgeous, Quinn felt a pleasant pang in her chest at the sight of the brunette's adorably flushed face.
"This one's down for the count," she told the others who had taken purchase on the nearest available surface. Kurt and Mercedes were sprawled out on the long couch in the living room with Jesse sitting half-unconscious at the foot on the floor while Zara and Tina occupied the smaller ones on the opposite side. She looked around and saw Sam passed out on the futon by the stairwell and she had to stifle a laugh.
"Wasso funny?" Rachel mumbled at her side, her eyelids fighting to stay open.
"Nothing. Come on, let's get you to bed." She grasped Rachel's hips as she lifted the brunette higher up on her shoulder. Wordlessly, she carried the girl up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. After struggling with the door a bit, she finally pushed it open and made her way inside. She grunted heavily as she set Rachel down on the bed.
Who knew the girl was so heavy when unconscious?
Quinn proceeded to remove Rachel's shoes and tossed them under the bed. She lifted the blanket out from under the other girl and tucked Rachel in. The brunette was fast asleep now, her hair unruly and wild while some of her make-up had become smeared. Even in such an unkempt state, Quinn thought Rachel was the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on.
After taking a few more minutes to just silently gaze and admire the girl's profile, Quinn sighed, a faint smile curling her lips. Tonight had been perfect. Save maybe for the few little mishaps at 1936, it really had been beyond perfect.
Slowly she bent down, and placed a feather light kiss on the brunette's forehead. "Goodnight, my princess." She pulled back smiling, and then quietly left the room feeling more alive than she had since arriving at Cairns.