A/N: Hi!

So, I got a review saying Rachel was made to look like the "bad guy" and I really never meant to do that, I'm sorry. Neither of them is supposed to be the "bad guy", since they both ran away and made mistakes. The "bad guy" is the denial of their feelings for each other.

Oh, things get happier in this chapter! The next one will most likely be the last :')


The next two months aren't exactly Quinn and Rachel's best.

The two girls don't talk at all. They sometimes stare at their phones, waiting for texts from each other, but neither has the initiative to press send after typing ridiculously long heartfelt messages, ever.

Rachel immerses herself in NYADA activities, such as practicing her singing and dancing like crazy and buttering up her teachers (without success, because Cassandra July is Cassandra July), pretending - even to herself - that there's absolutely nothing wrong. She sometimes talks to Kurt, who is planning on moving to New York some time in the future, but refuses to ever mention Quinn's name when he says her voice sounds ragged, making up the excuse that NYADA is overwhelming. There's an itch for telling him everything like she always does, but Rachel never lets it take over her will to ignore what's going on. She also often revisits that spot in Central Park where Quinn said she looked beautiful under the sunlight, and where they took that picture she's never gotten hold of… It's just peaceful. Her little taste of heaven. Their little taste of heaven.

Quinn soon finds out she can't handle Josh's obnoxiousness without being drunk. Every time she passes by him in the halls she hears him whisper things about how "she started making out with her lesbian girlfriend in front of him" to his friends, which is obviously not true, even though she kind of wishes it was. Her picture with Rachel is still on the wall, the brunette's copy stored in a drawer. Maybe Rachel does care after all… Maybe she cares too much - as much as she does - and that's what ruined them. Anyway, she can't dwell herself in hope for that, because, after all, they're apart and, caring or not caring, it doesn't make any difference now. Therefore, Quinn starts dedicating herself almost entirely to Yale and turns back to skyping with Santana and Brittany, swiftly changing the subject or finding a reason to log off whenever Rachel is brought up in their conversations.

But Santana - being who she is - breaks that wall at some point.

"Hey Q, I was talking to Britt the other day and maybe you guys could come and visit soon?"

"No, thanks, New York isn't exactly my thing."

"But it's so close to New Haven!" Brittany complains.

"I know, Britt, but I really…"

"Come on, Quinn, I know you love New York! Just get over that Rachel thing, we need an Unholy Trinity reunion!" The Latina insists.

That hits Quinn in the nerve.

"This is not because of -! Okay, okay… I'm going."

"Good." Santana grins. "You can stay at my place. Is next weekend okay for you?"

"Yeah, it's not like I have a social life here, especially now that everyone thinks I… Uh... Never mind."

"Yay! Next weekend! Should I bring Lord Tubbington?"

"No, Britt, I think it'll be better if he stays in Ohio." Santana replies.

"Yeah, it's not like you have cat tea to give him anyway."

Santana smiles at Brittany's nonsense and Quinn feels like she's interrupting the girls' little moment. And that reminds her of Rachel. Everything reminds her of Rachel, actually.

"So... I should go now. See you guys next weekend."

"Bye Q!"

"See you!"

When the blonde logs off and throws her laptop aside, the significance of what she's just agreed to do comes down on her.

New York. Next weekend. New York. Rachel.

No. It's a big city. There's not a chance in hell that an accidental encounter might happen. Unless it's not accidental. Would Santana plot anything regarding her relationship with Rachel? Would she go that far? She would. Then again, the fact that it's possible doesn't mean it's going to happen… Right?


On Friday, Quinn catches a train to New York. When she arrives, she finds Santana and Brittany waiting for her at the station. Brittany smiles warmly and pulls her into a hug. Santana does the same, something Quinn's honestly still not used to seeing - but apparently it's the effect of Brittany being around.

Soon, the three girls make their way to Santana's apartment in the Lower East Side. As they walk down the streets, the New York aura and the fresh air hitting Quinn's skin make memories of her weekend with Rachel strike back with full force. She can almost hear her laughing beside her. She can almost see the chocolate eyes. The shiny hair. The rosy cheeks.

Except she can't.

"We're here." Santana informs, driving Quinn out of her zoned out state, pointing at glass doors.

"Looks pretty." Brittany says.

The girls walk in, greet the doorman and enter an old elevator. Santana presses her floor number and they go up.

Once they're there, the Latina opens the door to her apartment and the trio walks in.

"Nice place." Quinn compliments, still a bit struck with her sudden flashbacks.

"This is awesome! And I actually could've brought Lord Tubbington! There's no cat tea, but he loves eating curtains."

Santana smiles. Quinn frowns.

"Q, this is your room", she says as she points to a door. "And this is ours." She points to another door, looking over to Brittany. "Do you guys want to go out for dinner or should we just order in?"

Order in… Quinn ordered in with Rachel in the last time she was in New York. She sighs.

"I think I'm just going to bed, I'm really tired. You guys can go out without me if you want. Sorry."

"Okay, Q. Just remember we're having a walk in Central Park tomorrow morning and you can't skip that."

"Sure. Good night."


Their next morning starts with iced coffee at Starbucks, which, for Quinn, triggers the revival of even more memories with Rachel. Trying to shake it all off her mind, she lets herself be dragged along to Central Park right after, which certainly doesn't help either.

Santana and Brittany talk excitedly about things Quinn can't discern because she's too busy paying attention to the sight around them. Or to the flashbacks it evokes in the back of her mind. Each step makes the feeling of familiarity to this scenery increase. But it's Central Park. It's huge. There's no way this is where Rachel brought her...

But then she sees it. The little whimsical restaurant with the waiter. She looks around, trying to find something that convinces her that this is not where she came two months ago, but she can't. Everything around her screams Rachel's name. Everything. The bright green grass, the clear sky, kids running, Rachel...

Rachel?

Yes. Rachel. Lying on the grass, not very far from her. Shiny black hair and clothes only Rachel Berry would wear. Of course it's Rachel. Quinn stops walking, earning concerned looks from Brittany and Santana, having a hard time believing this is not a mirage.

"Will you girls excuse me for a second?" She says, not even looking to their faces, starting to walk on the girl's direction.


Time stands still

Beauty in all she is

I will be brave

I will not let anything take away

What's standing in front of me

Every breath

Every hour has come to this

One step clo-ser


It's sunny and fresh outside and Rachel is paying her now weekly visit to their little spot at the Great Lawn. She lies there with her eyes closed, blocking thoughts about Quinn like she's learned to do so efficiently in the last couple of months.

That is, until she feels a shadow above her. Who dares break her contact with the sun?

She opens her eyes, frowning, and her expression changes completely when she sees her.

Quinn.

The brunette lifts her head, using her elbows for support. Nothing comes out of her mouth at her first attempt on speaking.

"Q-Quinn?" she whispers weakly at the second one.

"Hi..." Quinn replies. "How are you, Rach?" she smiles bluntly.

The blonde's cheeks starting to flush, her choppy hair, still short but longer than the last time they met, the shy smile…

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

After that, there's an almost imperceptible lack of words in which they simply exchange a prolonged look taking in the eyes they've been yearning to see for the last two months.

No fear, no sadness, no frustration, no hesitation, nothing. Just Quinn and Rachel - hazel and chocolate, honey and berries - in perfect syntony, for the first time in so long.

Quinn graciously sits down next to the brunette, never leaving her eyes.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you leave that day?"

Rachel knows exactly what she's talking about. For a moment, she considers lying… Not letting Quinn see through her.

"I told you I had things to..."

But then she's reminded by the look on Quinn's face that the last time she did this they went two months without talking.

"I was scared."

"Scared of what?"

"I don't know" Rachel cries, her voice starting to tremble and her head lowering in embarrassment.

Rachel was always the brutally honest, straight-forward girl, and now she was sitting there, too scared to let her walls down; walls she didn't even know she had before Quinn.

The blonde reaches out for her arm and her soft touch slowly travels all the way down to Rachel's shaking hands.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's okay, you don't need to..."

"No, it's not, Quinn! I'm tired of pretending it is!" The brunette's voice falters.

"Wait, I didn't mean to..."

"I love you, Quinn." Rachel says, silencing the blonde and leaving her astonished. "I'm in love with you and I left because I was too stupid to admit I was developing feelings for you back then even though I knew you were -"

"Rachel." The brunette is silenced by Quinn's intonation of her name as well as the girl's welled up hazel orbs looking into her. "I'm the stupid one here. I left when things got ugly and I made out with someone I didn't even like to forget you. Don't ever blame yourself for these two months. You had every right to leave like that. You had every right not to like me for being such an idiot."

Rachel's head remains lowered, but her eyes now look up to Quinn's face not knowing what to say. The blonde is right.

Quinn sighs after struggling with her words and her eyes shift until they finally meet Rachel's again. Once again, they share one of their wordless moments, perfectly understanding each other in spite of the silence.

"You're not stupid. I'd never… Not like you." Rachel finally whispers. "I just hope it's not too late."

Quinn leans in, slowly closing the distance between them. Her nose tenderly brushes Rachel's.

"I love you." the blonde says, letting out her minty breath on the brunette's mouth as she waits for permission to proceed. "It'll never be too late."

Rachel is paralyzed for a few seconds, but then she lets go of what she's been holding back - as does Quinn - and tilts her head forward, making their lips graze.

The slight touch of lips that the kiss initially is grows into a long and steady frenzy. Hands clasp hair and skin and clothes; barely audible involuntary whimpers come out in sync along with their breaths as if every second is part of an incredibly harmonized symphony.

That's about when they hear a familiar ragging voice.

"This is disgusting. No sex in the park, please, gay Barbie and Jew!"

Quinn smiles into the kiss and bites the brunette's lower lip, slowly letting go. Once Rachel is out of the trance Quinn's just brought her into with the smile and the lip biting, she widens her eyes and turns to the source of the interruption.

"Santana? Brittany? What are you doing here?"

"You know I always jog here. Also, I was the one who brought your girlfriend." Santana replies.

"I'm just hanging with my girl." Brittany says, motioning a gangster hand gesture.

"Oh, I…"

"It's okay, relax. I brought her because I wanted you guys to figure your shit out." The Latina grins. "Just get a room." She turns away and pulls Brittany with her.

"Of course she knew you'd be here all along." Quinn says with a loving smile, turning back to Rachel.

The brunette gives her a confused look. Quinn's smile is the sweetest she's ever seen, but she really doesn't understand what's going on.

"Santana basically plotted for us to be together." The blonde explains.

"Well, thank you, Santana." Rachel says goofily, literally thanking the air, since the Latina is far gone.

"God, Berry, you're crazy." Quinn banters.

"Shut up! Let's just go to my place before Santana comes back or that waiter comes around and freaks out over the fact that he knew it all along."

"You shut up, midget."

Both of them laugh and Quinn gets up from the grass, pulling Rachel with her.

Soon, they're on their way to the brunette's apartment, hands intertwined, eyes locked to each other.


And I never saw you coming.

And I'll never be the same.

This is a state of grace.

This is the worthwhile fight.

Love is a ruthless game

Unless you play it good and right.