A/N: Hello, so, here's another chapter. And mistakes are purely mine, I wrote this while I was on a plane. So, forgive me for the mistakes and the delay. I know, I know, I suck. And thank you to everyone who's still with me; I am hugging you right now.

This one is shorter than usual since it's a two-part thing.


New Year's Eve
Part I

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7:00 AM
Rachel's alarm wakes her and she instantly shoots up like it's the first day of school. New Year's Eve always gets her really excited so she made a promise to herself that she's gonna start preparing early today. There will be a good number of people tonight and that really makes her excited. It's her first time hosting a New Year's Eve party (because last year, they were at Isabelle's)—and Rachel Berry doesn't do anything half-assed.

She walks toward the kitchen to get herself some coffee, maybe a lot of caffeine will help.

The moment she steps out from her side of the apartment, she's surprised to see Santana sitting on the couch all by herself. Granted, the couch has been her bed for the past couple of nights (or weeks?) that Quinn's been here—Santana has insisted Quinn sleeps on her bed claiming she's a good host but Rachel knows the truth—but seeing the Latina up this early is weird.

Rachel takes Santana's demeanor in. She looks like she didn't get any sleep. Santana is just sitting there with a huge mug in hand, staring blankly at the TV screen that plays a replay of the basketball game from last night—and Rachel decides that she isn't really watching it because Santana and sports? Nah.

"Santana, are you—"

"Go away, Berry."

Rachel doesn't pry.

She just moves on to her journey to the kitchen.

She knows Santana will talk when she's ready.

9:03 AM
Two hours later, they've all started pulling out the designs Rachel bought yesterday for tonight's festivities. Kurt is cutting out some patterns from huge sheets of Japanese paper as Santana silently just vacuums the living room area with her earphones on. Quinn is cross-checking their grocery list with her menu in preparation for her and Kurt's run to the supermarket in about an hour.

Rachel just observes the common indifference between Quinn and Santana.

She steals a glance at Kurt just in time to meet eyes with him. Kurt notices it, too.

She and Kurt both got back two days ago and Rachel was happy to see the progress between her two friends. Santana and Quinn now shared quiet laughs and they spend a lot of time on the couch watching whatever was on TV and sometimes, Rachel would feel envious of them. Sure, there were a lot of slightly intimate touches on the arm, flirty remarks but mostly, Santana and Quinn are really good friends who enjoyed each other's company. Their closeness reverberates whenever they are around but they don't smother anyone with public displays of affection.

Rachel also doesn't miss the way Santana looks even happier now.

She's softer in a way she never was, in a way that still remains very Santana—only with less bite, only with more good-natured humor and teasing.

Rachel is sure Santana is making progress; a lot actually if she's being honest.

But that morning is different. Santana is silent and cold, pretty much the old Santana Lopez who hates mornings. Santana's hate on mornings never really changed but the Quinn-era Santana doesn't vacuum the same spot three times which is what this Santana is doing right now. Heck, Rachel wouldn't be surprised if that area is already sparkling by now.

Something's happened between Santana and Quinn. Rachel concludes.

10:30 AM
Kurt and Quinn have left for the supermarket 20 minutes ago and this is where Rachel expects Santana to talk.

She looks at Santana as the Latina descends the step ladder after successfully putting up the Welcome 2014 sign on the wall. Rachel could tell—by the way Santana hasn't smiled this morning—that something's bothering her.

Santana walks over to the dining table where Rachel is sitting by, finalizing the Cooking Time Playlist she so carefully put together for cooking with Quinn later.

"What?" Santana asks, annoyed by the way Rachel is staring at her.

Rachel just shrugs.

She gives Santana time.

There's just silence between them.

"What time does Mercedes and boy toy arrive?" Santana asks as she sits across Rachel, taking the pencil within her reach and plays with it by tapping the eraser on the table. It's now starting to worry her because she's never seen Santana this distraught about something—and that's saying something because she's known Santana since her closet era.

"Six," Rachel replies.

Santana only nods.

Silence envelopes them again with only the sound of pencil tapping could be heard.

Rachel waits.

She's always the one who would be inquisitive but Santana's anxiety level is not something she's seen before. Rachel Berry always comes equipped when she approaches people but she does not have tools for this.

Santana sighs audibly and then Rachel sees her shoulders slump in defeat—perhaps the only time she's seen her let go all morning long.

"Quinn was talking to Spencer last night."

Oh.

It drives Rachel crazy how Santana's behavior makes sense now and how everything doesn't make sense at the same time.

Why is Quinn talking to Spencer?

Santana props her elbows on the table and buries her face with her hands. She shakes her head as she says, "I don't understand, Berry," Santana admits and Rachel doesn't miss the hurt in her tone.

Rachel's heart breaks a little.

"I thought you and Quinn went on a date," she says, half-stating and half-asking.

Santana sighs again, "Yes, we did and I kissed her and she kissed me back."

They kissed! They kissed!

Rachel smiles a hesitant smile, trying to contain her happiness, "Shouldn't that be a good thing? Maybe, she and Spencer are just catching up."

Santana looks up at her and sinks on her seat, "We have not kissed again, Berry, let alone talk about what that one kiss meant."

Current emotion: ugh.

Now, that's tough. Rachel—for obvious reasons—believes in the power of talking it over but Santana and Quinn are never about talking. "You should talk to her," Rachel tries.

Santana chuckles bitterly, "And say what?"

Rachel only shrugs.

She knows Santana knows the answer.

12:30 PM
It's when they're eating takeout lunch by the couch—watching a random episode of America's Next Top Model—does Rachel realize what's really going on.

It's not for the lack of talking; it's mostly for the lack of wanting to talk.

She stares at Santana—who still remains silent—and Quinn—who still acts like doesn't notice it—and realizes that despite what seems like progress, the two still haven't gotten very far. Both Quinn and Santana are strong-headed and proud; and worse, they both love playing mind games. They like to see the other crumble first—and as much as this relationship is adorable, it's also very intense.

Wait, why is Americas's Next top Model always on when things like this happen?

There's a difference in the way Santana and Quinn operate under silence caused by unaddressed situations. They both share a common love for silence and wordless understandings but they handle things differently under pressure. Santana is stiff and anxious. For the most part, Santana does a good job hiding her unease. While Quinn is simply comfortable with it; she thrives in it—if you don't talk about it, it doesn't exist. Where Santana is rigid, Quinn is nonchalant.

Where Santana anticipates, Quinn denies.

Santana and Quinn aren't puzzle pieces that can be put together and can be figured out in a matter of rearrangement. They're complex—and they're mostly like science. And boy, it's tough science. Chemistry, actually: something that can only be understood by its compound elements and dynamics.

Rachel is not sure she completely understands the way Santana and Quinn work but she's seen how good it is when it's actually working. They're unstoppable; but the problem lies within Santana and Quinn and the things they're not willing to let go.

She chomps on her lunch as she watches Santana steal longing glances at Quinn. She would glare at Rachel when she sees her watching her and Rachel only smirks.

She realizes right there how much Santana wants this and it breaks her heart because she also realizes that despite that want, there's also a chance it might not work.

5:06 PM
Brody has arrived early to help Santana and Kurt put up the rest of the ceiling designs and move furniture around while she and Quinn start the cooking.

They're in the middle of baking the pie Quinn had insisted on baking when she sees something that frustrates her to no end.

Quinn's phone—that's resting on top of the petite kitchen island—rings and Rachel immediately sees Spencer's name. The blonde quickly turns away from mixing the ingredients when she sees who's calling and gives Rachel quick instructions before stepping out to answer the call.

Why is she still talking to Spencer? Rachel asks herself. She wants to ask but Rachel knows how Quinn feels about boundaries and she's not about to overstep the line Quinn had drawn between them. Quinn draws lines between herself and every person she chooses to be in her life including Santana. Sometimes, Rachel likes to think Quinn has changed and has long-stopped caging herself in but she knows that's not true.

Sure, Quinn has torn down a lot of walls since they have graduated high school but the blonde has a gazillion of walls around her.

Between Santana and Quinn, it's easier to read the former. Santana is tough but mostly, her toughness is just a reaction. But Quinn's walls are there by nature. She doesn't force it. It's part of who she is. And while Rachel has succeeded a lot of times in seeing through Quinn, the job doesn't get easier.

Rachel shakes her head in frustration.

Trust Quinn to say she only wants love and throw the chance away when she gets close enough.

7:00 PM
Rachel tries to not let it bother it her. Santana and Quinn are civil around each other; they're not fighting and they even flirt with each other a lot. Quinn at some point called Santana out to help her in the kitchen when Rachel stepped out to take a shower. Santana also seems trying. She would check on Quinn from time to time, asking the blonde if she's feeling okay from all the standing and walking around the kitchen.

It makes Rachel's heart ache. How two people could care for each other so much and push each other away at the same time? That's beyond her.

So, Rachel tries not to let it bother her. Besides, the tension between Quinn and Santana is only known to her and Kurt. Mercedes, Mike, and Blaine (who decided to surprise Kurt)—and a couple other friends—seem to only notice the flirting and the teasing. The budding romance isn't necessarily a secret to everybody but no one really dares to ask a question.

When she thinks about it, Quinn and Santana are scary together. If they were together in high school, Rachel is sure she would have transferred schools. Everybody knows that apart, Quinn and Santana are powerful but together? Quinn and Santana are relentless.

Mercedes and her boyfriend Troy—tall, dark, and handsome—have arrived an hour ago (along with Mike and his girlfriend Melissa) and Rachel doesn't miss the common love Santana and Quinn have for Mercedes. They lightened up around her and they even joined forces in interrogating Troy, pretending to be the protective friends they really are. At some point, Rachel could tell Troy got really scared especially when Quinn does her scary eyebrow raise but they let him go at eventually and snatched Mercedes as they finished all the cooking.

Rachel is pretty busy, too. She entertained Sophia, Lauren, and Nathaniel—her and Kurt's friends from NYADA (Voice and Dance); while Kurt easily found a new friend in Melissa because she's a Fashion student from the Art Institute of Chicago. Brody, Blaine, Mike, and Troy just hang by the living room enjoying the luxury of Xbox that Brody brought in.

It's not even midnight yet and they're all set to go to Times Square to watch the ball drop but Rachel is already happy with the way things are going.

It's really true what they say about New Year's Eve—it gets better as the clock nears 12.

9:30 PM
Everyone is sitting by the dining table laughing at how that impromptu Xbox bowling tournament went. Santana, due to the continuous Mulan jokes from Brody, has declared a fake bowling war and everybody else went with it. It's Team Santana vs. Team Brody.

Team Santana was composed of Mike, Nathaniel, Troy, and Quinn, while Team Brody had Rachel, Kurt, Lauren, and Blaine; as the others just watched. As much as Rachel hates it, they lost to Team Santana because Kurt—as fabulous as he is—kept missing everything.

Quinn didn't disappoint with her dishes. They're all amazing and Rachel somehow envies Quinn because come on, she's a future neurosurgeon who's got killer cooking skills; it's almost easy to envy her.

It's also amid dinner that something interesting happens.

Melissa—who resembles Zooey Deschanel a lot—makes a comment that almost makes Rachel laugh.

"Quinn, this is really good," Melissa says while munching on the toasted ravioli she's been eating since the evening commenced.

That's not the comment I wanted to laugh at.

Quinn only nods in thanks.

Brody and Blaine reach out to the plate of raviolis to try them.

Melissa turns to Santana, "You have a very good cook for a girlfriend, Santana. I wish I could cook like this!"

That's what I'm talking about.

Everybody only agrees and continues to eat but Rachel—and Kurt's—attention snap to Santana. The Latina's eyes are wide in surprise and it almost makes Rachel giggle. That comment obviously threw her off. Rachel then looks at Quinn and sees that she's blushing madly.

Kurt and Rachel look at each other and exchange knowing smiles. Rachel also doesn't miss Mercedes and Mike's questioning looks but Rachel only gives them both a wink. Rachel knows they know what's going on but it's not her place to confirm that.

10:34 PM
Another interesting thing happens—way more interesting than Melissa's comment.

Trust me.

They're still by the dining table finishing off the Red Velvet Pie that she and Quinn baked earlier when someone knocks.

Kurt volunteers to open the door and when he does, boy, almost everybody who knows the now blue-haired girl outside their door froze in tension. She's holding a box of cupcakes with that familiar smile on her face.

Dani.

The other people on the table just continued to talk about food, theater, fashion, and neurosurgery but Santana, Kurt, Rachel, and probably even Brody froze in surprise.

Rachel's instinct is to look at Quinn but she doesn't seem to notice because she's wrapped up in a conversation with Mercedes and Troy so that somehow relieves Rachel.

The relief doesn't last too long, though.

"Hey everybody," Dani announces herself as she steps inside. Dani is somehow familiar with the place. She once had a key to the apartment so coming in unannounced and stepping in uninvited is pretty much normal.

Rachel could tell Kurt doesn't want to say her name because Quinn. Is. Right. There.

Maybe, Quinn will not recognize her. Besides, the last time Dani was in a photo with any of them, she was still blonde.

Everyone looks at her and smiles. Mike even waves at her and Dani waves back.

Santana is still frozen in her seat, too shocked to react. Her eyes are glued to Dani and Dani's eyes are glued to her. Rachel could still see the affection Dani has toward Santana but Santana's gaze is partly because of surprise and partly because fuck.

By this time, everybody has felt the tension. Quinn is looking at Santana in utter confusion—yes, Rachel confirms, Quinn doesn't recognize her. Kurt is left standing by the door looking at Quinn then at Santana, then at Quinn again. The rest of the table just waits for an introduction.

And Rachel just sits there, holding on to the sides of her seat, bracing herself because boy, this, this is classic drama.

Kurt clears his throat and puts on a big smile as he closes the door, "Everybody, this is Dani."

Barbra. Help.

Rachel immediately looks at Quinn and sees Quinn's resolve crack. There's surprise, then there's processing it, and in a split second, there's the utter realization that this is Dani: girl-in-Santana's-Facebook-from-a-couple-of-months-ago Dani.

"Hi, Dani," almost everyone at the table says.

"We used to work with her at the diner. She moved to California," Kurt says in his best she-used-to-be-our-friend-and-we're-so-proud-of-her voice.

Mercedes is the first to react, "Where?"

"Los Angeles."

Mercedes beams, "Girl, we both flew halfway across the country to be with the weirdos."

Dani laughs and everybody does as well.

That somehow eases the tension.

Introductions come next: Mercedes, Brody (who Dani met once when he dropped by the diner before and also knows what's going on), Blaine, Mike, Melissa, Lauren, Sophia, Nathaniel, Troy, and then there's the inevitable.

Kurt swallows hard before doing what is necessary because Rachel and Santana obviously can't do anything remotely useful right now, "Dani, this is Quinn."

"No way," Dani says in that cheery tone of hers. "Quinn Fabray?"

"Yeah," Quinn nods, her perfected pseudo-confidence in full display.

You gotta give it to Quinn—her poise is undoubtedly unbreakable, the cracks only visible to those who know her well.

"Santana told me a lot about you."

Then, everybody seems to have remembered that Santana was there.

Quinn turns to Santana and smirks bitterly—and it almost scares Rachel. She turns back to Dani and there's Quinn's icy persona again, "I bet."

Wow.

Dani gingerly smiles, "You really are pretty."

"Thank you," Quinn says as she stands up. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Yeah," Dani says, nodding.

Everybody practically moves on now, clearing the table up; everybody, except them who knows exactly who Dani is.

"I was in town so, I just decided to drop by and bring you guys some cupcakes."

Finally recovering from the shock, Rachel moves beside Dani, "You didn't have to bother with the cupcakes."

Dani chuckles, "I just wanted to see you guys and maybe talk to Santana, too and besides," she pauses to turn to Santana, "I know how Santana loves cupcakes." The blue-haired girl then winks at Santana.

Oh. My. God.

Rachel sees a sour and amused expression on Quinn's face. Quinn's this-is-not-really-happening face is epic. If these aren't her friends, Rachel would be laughing by now but man, it feels weird.

"Thank you, Dani," Kurt tries to save everyone from World War Quinn and takes the cupcakes from Dani.

Rachel turns to Quinn and does her a favor she knows the blonde needs right now, "Do you want cupcakes, Quinn?"

Quinn looks up at her and gets it, "Yeah. Sure."

Dani beams.

Quinn turns to Dani and smiles again, "It's nice to meet you, Dani. I've heard a lot about you, too."

Quinn is smiling too much, so, so much that something has got to be wrong with it.

Dani nods, "You too, finally a face to the name."

Rachel somehow feels bad for Dani. She really liked her.

"We're in the kitchen if you need us!" Kurt says as he turns to the kitchen.

Rachel tilts her head to motion Quinn to follow Kurt and the blonde understood immediately. She follows Kurt and so does Rachel.

Before she's completely out of earshot, Rachel hears Dani ask Santana, "Can we talk?"

And Rachel tries so hard not to cry.

Ugh. Lesbians.

IN THE KITCHEN
While everyone is getting ready for their walk to Times Square, the kitchen is silent with Kurt randomly pulling out plates for the cupcakes as Rachel and Quinn stand by the island.

Rachel observes Quinn and somehow sees the shadow of old Quinn—the one that constantly pushed people away. She sees pain in Quinn's hazel eyes but she also sees hope; a tiny bit of hope. For what reason, Rachel doesn't know.

Rachel has a hope of her own. She's hoping Santana makes a choice and that choice would be Quinn. She hopes that Quinn's apparent relapse doesn't push Santana to getting back with Dani. At the back of her mind, Rachel believes Santana will not do that but uncertainty and disappointment—and probably hearing the person you're into talk to the other person that's into them—can do a lot to change someone's mind.

And then, she finally points it out.

Relapse.

Quinn is relapsing and she knows that when Quinn is relapsing, it's mostly because of fear. It's mostly because she's scared.

Rachel doesn't understand what Quinn's so afraid of but maybe, she has an idea now. She has an idea now because Santana is there, talking to her blue-haired ex. And she also can't help but remember that Quinn knows how Santana chose Brittany that one time.

Rachel knows about Santana's reasons, her thoughts, her intentions but Quinn doesn't. Aside from Santana's constant trips to New Haven and a recent—undeniably romantic—kiss atop the Empire State Building, Quinn still has no idea how Santana feels about her. Maybe she has an idea but Quinn is the type of girl who hangs on to concrete things, not signs.

Between Quinn and Santana, Rachel could admit that the latter owes more explanation; Santana did lie to her a lot of times.

But still.

Rachel doesn't want to take sides but she couldn't help but still feel frustrated because Quinn was talking to Spencer last night and is taking calls from her.

She wants to say something to Quinn because she also has her own set of faults in this situation but she doesn't want to appear like she's taking Santana's side because—going back to blue hair—Santana is the one who just sat there and did nothing to save Quinn from Dani-o-rama.

Not that Quinn needed saving.

Johanna Mason couldn't have said it any better, love is weird.

Personally, Rachel thinks Quinn is being unfair.

Okay, let's not kid ourselves.

Rachel thinks Quinn is being unfair, leaving all the bridges for Santana to cross when she's got her bridges to burn, too. Maybe, she only sees the surface of Quinn's stance in all of this but where she stands, Rachel could feel Quinn playing it safe. She wants Santana but keeps Spencer close anyway because Santana is dangerous; because Santana is undecided and scared and there are couple of times she chose someone else over Quinn.

But that's unfair because Santana is making progress—relevant progress.

She wishes she could shake Quinn to know what she's thinking.

It's frustrating.

But again, she wouldn't say anything.

Luckily, Kurt does it for her.

"You know," Kurt bumps Quinn's shoulder. Quinn has been staring at the cupcakes like she's trying to melt it with her eyes. Kurt continues, "It's okay to make a choice, Quinn."

Rachel doesn't get it.

Did they talk while they were shopping?! Kurt, you bitch.

Quinn only looks at him.

"Live or die?" Kurt asks rhetorically as he takes a cupcake and bites from it. He chews for a moment and then adds, "I chose Blaine."

"Is it too late now?"

What are they talking about?

Kurt only shrugs.

Somehow, for reasons she doesn't understand, Rachel speaks up, "It's not."

Both Kurt and Quinn look at her. They look like they're wondering how she caught up with the conversation but they also look like they understand what she's trying to say.

"I'm not the one who's got choosing to do," Quinn says weakly, shuddering under her breath. She also releases a heavy sigh.

"We both know that's not true," Kurt says.

Rachel nods, now understanding exactly what Kurt's getting at. Her and Kurt's friendship also worked like that of Quinn and Santana's—sometimes, they connect just as easily. "You're not the one who had to show up unexpectedly, Quinn," Rachel adds.

Kurt wiggles his eyebrows and puts down the cupcake and takes a slice of the Red Velvet Pie and raises it as if it's a wine glass. Rachel chuckles and takes a slice as well, doing the pie-raise Kurt just did.

Kurt then says, "When it comes to choices, I think Santana has made that choice a long time ago."


We go back to Santana's POV in the next part/chapter. I just needed someone outside of Quinntana to explain what's going on and no better person to do that but Rachel Berry-and also Kurt.

And please forgive my Catching Fire reference, I can't help it. HAHA. Jena Malone, FTW.

Reviews?