Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.
Warning: The part in italics deals with car accidents, and hospitals, just in case. Also, all mistakes are mine because I still don't have a BETA READER.
A/N: Hello faithful readers. First, I wanted to apologize for the long delay. You see I had an "accident" a while back and I broke my hand/arm. I had to use those cases with a big ball that immobilized my fingers in my right hand, so writing was really hard (and annoying) so I decided to wait until I was better.
I'm better now, and I'll be back writing this fic and updating hopefully every 15 days.
Secondly, I want to dedicate this chapter to SAMMIE, cousin of Sam (or sammyc21). You are a very faithful reader, and you encouraged me to keep up with this story, so thank you. Also, I heard that you like Quinn to act like a protector and reading about the girl's pasts. Well I hope you enjoy this chapter then *wink wink*
Finally, I want to say thank you to all my followers. This story reached 100 followers. So thak you very much!
This chapter will fill what I like to call glee holes (plot holes), just like many other chapters. Something important is about to happen, but I want to strengthen Quinn and Rachel's relationship before that, so this is mostly fluff (well not fluff fluff but yes)
Ok now, I'll shut up and let you read.
Enjoy!
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The Protector
"Ughhh…" Quinn groaned while she fell exhausted to the couch in the living room.
Rachel's birthday had been a success. Quinn was quite proud of herself because Rachel's smile had hung in her lips even when the little diva was sleeping. She would have thought that Rachel would be exhausted, but when Quinn mentioned taking Beth to the museum, Rachel had jumped to the opportunity to join them.
Therefore, right after her appointment with her therapist, she met with Beth and Rachel in the museum. Quinn wasn't sure who was more energetic: Beth or Rachel. She was exhausted! However, she had to admit that when a random person had told them that they were a beautiful family her energies had jumped sky high. Unfortunately, they were down once again.
They had been in the museum for hours, and an extra hour when they went to leave Beth with her adopted mother. Surprisingly enough, it was barely noon and soon they would be heading to the diner to work.
"Are you tired?" Rachel asked with a beaming smile. Where does she get her energy?!
"Ughhhh…" she groaned again while readjusting herself to sit like a normal person in the couch. Quinn heard Rachel giggle and before she could react, she felt the little diva sit down over her lap and encircling her hands around her neck. Quinn gulped trying hard not to show her surprise, but she was sure her deer in headlights face was very giving.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Rachel asked innocently. Quinn squared her face in seriousness and tried to shrug nonchalantly.
"I was distracted." Rachel laughed at her mortified expression.
"Stay here, I'll make lunch. Try to rest; we still have to go to work." Quinn sighed heavily when Rachel removed herself from her lap and walked to the kitchen. Santana that seemed to appear from nowhere flopped herself to the couch.
"Soooo…. Have you banged her already?" Santana asked with a quirked eyebrow. Quinn's growl and killer glare were the only answers to her query. "I'll take that as a no."
"I'm goanna need more therapy…. And a new therapist."
"What… why?" Santana asked not following.
"I asked my therapist advice about what to do with Rachel, but as soon as I mentioned that I'm gay she started to flirt with me."
"Such a pro…"
"Tell me about it." Quinn sighed once again in defeat.
"Why do you need advice with Rachel?" Santana asked with curiosity. Quinn was thankful that her evil friend hadn't used this opportunity to annoy and embarrass her to death.
"Ugh, I don't know if she is actually being flirty with me or if she is simply touchy and clingy. Lately she is even more touchy than usual, and honestly I'm getting a little frustrated."
"Oh yeah, a severe case of blue ovaries, or how I likes to called it blue eggs."
"You are a horrible person, you know that?" Quinn said eyeing her friend warily.
"Well we can figure it out." Santana smirked evilly. "Oh Rachel!" Santana called in a sing song voice surprising Quinn. Rachel came bouncing to the room happily. Silently, Santana motioned for the little diva to get closer. When she was within reach, she took her by the hand and brought her to sit in her lap.
Rachel let out a high pitch squeak in surprise, while a feral growl rumbled in Quinn's throat in opposition. Santana's smirk grew bigger while she wrapped her hands around the petit waist of her Jewish friend.
"Hello Rach…"
Rachel was indeed surprise by the action and she was ready to slap the smirk off Santana's face when she noticed Quinn's expecting eyes. It was obvious that both Quinn and Santana were expecting something from her, perhaps some sort of aggressive reaction to the sudden intimate action of the Latina. Well Rachel was not going to give them the satisfaction. Especially not to Santana. She took a deep breath and moved her arms to wrap them around Santana's neck and move closer to the brunette's body.
"Hello there Santana, what is it? Why did you call me?" Rachel asked with a small and serene smile. She was after all a great actor. If she wanted, she could act as if she was completely comfortable in her current situation.
"Can I persuade you to make me something with cheese on it? I knows you sometimes let go of the vegan diet to eat cheese. Pretty please." The Latina begged with a pout. Quinn almost gagged when she saw the puppy eyes and the pout. What was even worse was that Rachel seemed ok with all of that.
"Sure, you got it." Rachel smiled knowing that somehow she was winning whatever the two women were expecting her to fail. She decided to make a great finale, so she leaned down and placed a kiss in the tanned cheek of her roommate before standing up and going back to the kitchen.
Both Santana and Quinn had been left speechless after the impromptu kiss. Santana somehow felt guilty and dirty after that kiss. She looked over at Quinn with apprehension and grimaced when she saw pain in the hazel eyes of her friend. Thankfully, that pain disappeared almost instantly; there was not point of being jealous of Santana.
"Yeah, she is clingy." Santana said cutting the awkward silence between them. Quinn growled once again in annoyance and threw her arms in the air in defeat.
"God, why do you do this to me?"
"Maybe because you are a lesbian." Santana shrugged nonchalantly earning a slap in the head from Quinn in response. The blonde stood up and headed to her room.
"Hey, where are you going?" Santana asked with a little of fear in her voice. Has she said too much? Has she heart her feelings?
"To change." Quinn assured before closing the door of her room. "You are getting soft!"
"No, I'm not!" Santana barked in outraged. "Me? Soft? Yeah right." Just then, Rachel came walking back to the kitchen.
"Where's Quinn?" The diva asked Santana who was now moping grumpily.
"Room." She grumbled crossing her arms over her chest. She was too busy mumbling to herself how stupid the blonde was to prevent the little singer from entering the room. She noticed her mistake until she heard Quinn's shriek and saw Rachel exit the room and closing the door behind her while muttering apologizes.
Santana was about to laugh her head off when she noticed the puzzle expression in Rachel's face. It was not the kind of puzzlement that a woman had after seen another woman naked and finding her attractive. No, it was something that apparently had shocked Rachel and was now pushing the woman close to tears.
"Wow, Short Stuff, what happened?" Santana asked moving to the diva. Quinn got out of the room wearing a different set of close and moved to look at Rachel directly.
"Rachel?" The singer looked up and found the hazel eyes of her best friend. When she entered the room she had found the majestic vision of a half naked Quinn Fabray. Rachel was not surprised of being struck by Quinn's beauty. She had always considered herself open minded, so she was able to admit the beauty of both men and women. And Quinn was certainly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Although it was only for a second, Rachel drank down the vision of Quinn's naked body covered only by her underwear.
Quinn had reacted quickly, and she turned around giving her back to Rachel and successfully covering her naked breasts. That's when Rachel noticed it. A scar. A big scar fell in a wavy line down the center of her back to stop just above her underwear. It was the biggest scar she had ever seen, and she was pretty sure how Quinn had got it. Now staring at her friend's scared eyes she couldn't help but burst into tears and throw herself at Quinn's arms.
"I'm sorry!" Rachel cried hugging at Quinn fiercely. "Your… scar!... It's my fault!" she said between sobs.
Quinn sighed in understanding. She gently pulled away from her friend's hug and started drying her tears with her fingers.
"Please don't cry about it. I never blamed you and to be honest I kind of like it."
"What?" Santana asked curiously not following the conversation.
"The scar on my back." Quinn explained.
"Oh yeah, totally hots." Santana nodded eyeing Quinn in a lustfully manner. Quinn laughed it off and turned to face Rachel.
"Rach, don't feel guilty about it. We had already settled this. Now common, let's finish lunch before we have to go to work.
Rachel sniffed while watching Quinn head to the kitchen followed closely by Santana. The sight of the scar on Quinn's back had literally made her insides torn in pain. She did feel guilty. No matter what Quinn had said, Rachel knew that she was the culprit of that awful accident. She knew it from the moment she saw Quinn in her hospital bed. She knew that she had been the reason why Quinn's life had changed drastically in a matter of seconds.
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"I gots in this awful dress for nothing! That Yentl better have life insurance." Santana mumbled angrily looking at her pink maid's dress with distaste. Although she had muttered those harsh words, Tina and Mercedes had heard her and were nodding to each other in agreement.
"Doll, I have to ask, why did you cancel the weeding?" Kurt asked shamelessly. After waiting for fifty minutes, Rachel had cancelled the weeding because Quinn never showed up. Finn was upset, with good reason while the parents were relieved and in all honesty ecstatic. The other "guests" that were mostly the whole glee club were mostly annoyed that they were all dressed up for nothing, but inwardly they were also relieved that the weeding hadn't happed.
"I'm not sure… it doesn't feel right…" Rachel said with a frown. Finn was not talking to her, but right now, she was anxious because Quinn didn't show up and she hadn't answered her cell phone in the last ten minutes. "Is Finn too upset?"
"Don't worry, sweetie, he's going to be ok, or I'll make him be ok with this." Kurt assured her with a reassuring smile.
"Wait does this mean you two are going to break up again? Uhg, so much drama!" Santana grunted in annoyance.
"Shut it Satan!" Kurt barked angrily. Santana ignored him and went to answer her phone after seeing who was calling.
"Yo, Misses F, don't tell me Q forgot something and she had to go back home? Tell her to not bother, she saved Diane Warren from marring Frankenteen." Rachel heard Santana answer the phone, first with excitement when she heard that she was speaking with Quinn's mom, and later with a frown in her face when she heard Santana's hateful remarks.
She was ready to admonish the Latina, but she stopped herself when she noticed Santana's features morph into an expression of pure horror.
"I'll be right there!" Santana said to the phone before hanging up. She turned around and ran towards their professor. "Mrs. Shue, Quinn had a car accident! Can you take me to the hospital?"
Rachel felt a surge of panic run through her body and then… she felt nothing. Her teammates would later say that she was acting like a zombie or a sleepwalker. They were probably right. Rachel couldn't remember how she got to the hospital. She vaguely remembered her parents telling her to calm down and that they would take her to the hospital. She could also recall the doctor telling Quinn's mom that her daughter was badly injured and that she was in surgery. Everything else was a blur. The following hours were a torture. Finn had been at her side the first hour, but he had decided to leave her alone during the following hour and a half.
The whole glee club was in the waiting room of the hospital waiting for news from the doctor. After almost three hours of waiting, a nurse came out and told Judy Fabray that her daughter had survived the surgery. That's when Rachel body reacted. She fell to her knees and started crying both in relief and in an overwhelming feeling of guilt. After that, her parents literally dragged her out of the hospital and took her home.
Santana, she was angry. She was angry with Quinn for not being careful. She was angry with Rachel for texting Quinn while she was driving. She was angry with herself because once again Quinn had been hurt. Quinn was unconscious lying in a hospital bed covered in bandages, and once again, she couldn't do a thing about it.
During the following days, Santana and Brittany visited Quinn every day, so did Rachel. She had been so mad the first time she spotted the diva that she was ready to kick her out of the hospital physically, but Judy and Brittany stopped her from doing it. However, every day her anger grew stronger. Two weeks had been since the accident and Quinn had yet to awake. Two weeks had been before Santana finally snapped and lashed out at Rachel outside of the blonde's hospital room.
"What are you doing here, Berry?" Santana asked approaching the diva with a deep scowl that made Rachel shrink a little before her.
"I was just visiting Quinn." Rachel said squaring her shoulders trying not to feel intimidated by the cheerleader.
"You have a lot of balls, Dwarf, visiting her after you practically put her in that bed yourself." Rachel physically recoiled at the harsh words. Santana saw the brown eyes glitter with unshed tears and the pink lower lip tremble in weakness. She felt a sting of guilt at the obviously distraught diva, but she steeled herself believing with her whole being that Rachel deserved it.
"I didn't… I would have never…" Rachel tried to defend herself, but her words sounded strangled in her throat.
"You did! If you hadn't sent her those texts, she would be happily enjoying her vacations, but instead she is stuck in a fucking hospital bed. She hasn't waked up, and there is a chance she doesn't wake up at all!" Santana barked angrily seeing the little singer finally give up against the strength of the tears welled up in her eyes. "You did this, Berry! Show some respect and leave her alone!" Rachel couldn't stand it anymore. She turned around and left the place while crying her heart out in despair and remorse.
The next couple of days, Rachel didn't show up. Judy and Brittany were surprised, and questioned the Latina about it, but Santana kept answering that perhaps she just got tired of coming to visit Quinn. Four days later, Quinn woke up. Brittany and Santana were alone in the room with her while Judy went for lunch when they noticed the hazel eyes of the blonde open slowly.
"Quinn!" Britany called happily.
"Brits go and find the nurse!" Santana said approaching the injured blonde in the bed. Brittany obeyed and left the room in a hurry. "Welcome back Queen Bee." Santana smiled down and the blonde that seemed lost and confused. She saw the greenish eyes found her own and Santana let out a sigh of relief. She is back. She is back!
"The weeding?" Quinn said with a straying voice.
"What?" Santana asked not knowing if she heard right. She just woke up, why is she asking about the weeding?
"Rachel… the weeding?" Quinn said again this time her voice even weaker. Santana shook her head in confusion. She locked her eyes with Quinn's trying to read what they were saying. Was that hope?
"They canceled it." She answered still confused by the blonde beauty. She saw how Quinn's lips quirked upwards a little and the blonde closed her eyes in exhaustion.
"Good…" She said before passing out again.
Quinn was finally up and with every passing day she became stronger. Her body was healing, even though she had lost movement and feeling in her legs the doctors believed that with therapy she could walk again. Ironically, after she woke up Santana refused to talk to her and just visited every other day. Santana had probably caught up with Quinn's depression and was now reacting on her own. Quinn had let her throw her tantrum, but she was getting tired.
"Would you please talk to me?" Quinn asked angrily from her place in the big bed.
"I am talking to you." Santana dismissed avoiding eye contact.
"There is obviously something bothering you. I'm tired of seeing you whine like a baby! Tell me what is it?"
"That's rich coming from you! You are all depressed and emo since you woke up!"
"Aww, you are fighting again?" Brittany whined slumping in a chair and letting the two strong women argue.
"I almost died!" Quinn exclaimed exasperated.
"Oh boo hoo, excuses." Santana said while crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Santana, tell me what's wrong!" Quinn demanded getting tired of the Latina's behavior. "If you ever cared about me as a friend, you will tell me right now why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not mad at you!" Santana said immediately, surprised that Quinn would ever think that.
"Then what is it?"
"I'm mad at myself!" Santana blurted out surprising Quinn and Brittany that stared silently for a while waiting for the brunette to continue. "I am mad at myself. I couldn't do anything. You gots hurt and I just stood there watching. I promised myself that I'd protect you and Brit. I failed." Santana said bursting into tears. Quinn was surprised when the Latina threw herself into her lap crying desperately over the sheets that covered her injured legs. Quinn hugged the crying body by leaning over her.
"I'm sorry I scared you, it was my mistake. Please don't blame yourself for anything." Quinn said caressing the back of her best friend. "Besides, you seem to forget I'm the protector and the leader. That and I'm practically immortal by now." Quinn said earning a watery laughed from the brunette. She was about to straighten herself when she felt Brittany lean over her creating a mountain of bodies over her. She laughed feeling herself sandwiched in the middle of her friends. "I'll be ok I promise."
The three friends ended up together in the hospital bed, the three of them simply enjoying the company of the others. Santana broke the amiable silence between them.
"Spit it Fabray, why are you so down lately."
"It's nothing really." She said; however, Santana could see the blush in pale cheeks.
"Is this about Rachel?" The brunette asked making Quinn blush even darker. Rachel was after all her first thought. The blonde sighed heavily and stared silently at the ceiling for a while.
"I just though… you know… that she would… maybe visit me, I don't know." She said sheepishly trying to hide a cute blush that rushed to her cheeks.
"But she was here, Quinn. Rach came visiting the first weeks after your accident." Brittany assured her with a smile.
"Oh…I guess she got tired of coming or something." The self-depreciating tone in her voice didn't come unnoticed by the Latina. Santana groaned in annoyance and turned her head avoiding Quinn questioning eyes.
"I scared her off, ok?"
"What?"
"She was coming here every day, and I basically told her it was her fault that you got in that accident, which is true by the way."
"Santana!" Quinn reprimanded with a scowl. She took a deep breath remaining herself that if the brunette decided to bolt she wouldn't be able to pursue her. "San, that was a very cruel thing to do. I need to talk to her, would you please bring her here."
"What, why me?"
"Because you will apologize in your way here." Quinn said not leaving space for any kind of refusal. "Please, San." She said with a softer voice. Santana grumbled while standing and she left the room with nothing more than a simple "ya vengo."
"Hey Q, are you a Lebanese?" Brittany asked looking at her with innocent eyes. Quinn was surprised by the question, but she sobered herself up and gave her friend a weak smile.
"Maybe a little." Quinn confessed and Brittany jumped off the bed in excitement.
"I knew it! Is it Rachel? Do you want to have sweet lady kisses with Rach?" Quinn sighed with sorrow. She was confused. She was barely realizing her own feelings for the diva and Brittany was already pushing for confessions. Could she do it? Could she admit to others and herself that she liked Rachel more than a friend.
Brittany noticed the sad look in her friend's eyes and pouted a little. It had been a long time since she saw this side of Quinn. The quiet, protective and caring Quinn was the Quinn she liked the most. She was surprised when she felt a hand caressing her right cheek. She looked down at Quinn and the head cheerleader gave her a caring smile.
"You are very smart Brit, you figured me out." It wasn't an admission, per se, but it wasn't a denial neither.
"Yes! You two together would be so hot!"
"Yeah… the problem is that Rach is not 'Lebanese.'" She said with a grimace, not been able to say the real word just now. "Rachel has Finn, and she was going to marry him." Brittany excitement came to a sudden stop. She leaned down and engulfed her friend in a crushing hug.
"San likes you just as much as I like you, but we have each other. I'm sure you'll find a Lebanese woman that will give you as much lady kisses you want Quinn." Brittany said tightening her grip; Quinn couldn't help but laugh at the adorableness of the dancer.
"Thanks B." The two friends waited sitting in the bed until a knock in the door called their attention. Rachel and Santana were in the threshold of the door waiting to be acknowledge by the two blondes. "Did you apologize?" Quinn lifted an eyebrow and Santana rolled her eyes in response.
"Yeah, as much as she would get from me either way." Santana crossed her arms in front of her chest. Rachel fidgeted in her place not daring to look at Quinn. The head cheerleader was about to say something when Brittany jumped out the bed and walked to grab Santana by her arm.
"San, I'm hungry!" She said and with that, Quinn and Rachel were left alone. The tension in the room was nerve-racking. Quinn was annoyed, but hearing a soft sniff coming from Rachel made her heart twist in heartache. Rachel was crying.
"Rachel, come here." Quinn said extending her hand, but the tiny diva remained in the threshold looking at the line in front of her foot that separated the room from the hallway.
"I'm sorry, Quinn! I shouldn't have sent you those messages. I knew you were driving, but I didn't even care and because of that you got hurt." Rachel rambled while trying to breathe in between persistent sobs that were stealing her breath away.
"Rachel-"
"I know you must hate me now, and I won't blame you, but I just wanted to say-"
"Rach-"
"I'm really sorry! I'm really-"
"RACHEL!" Quinn's scream made the singer stop talking and crying even harder now. "Rachel please come here. Don't make me go there." Quinn begged with a soft voice extending her arm as much as she could while remaining sitting in the bed.
"I can't!"
"What do you mean? You just have to cross that threshold, do it for me." Rachel lifted her face and searched for the waiting hazel eyes of the cheerleader. Her eyes focused on the extended hand and she forced her body to walk that simple step, but the fear and guilt were holding her back. "Repeat after me Rach, 'it was not my fault.'" Rachel eyes opened in surprise.
"It was my fault, Quinn! I am to blame!" Rachel squealed crying again.
"No, I should have been more careful, Rachel. If it makes you feel better then I forgive you, but please, don't keep blaming yourself for this…please." Quinn gave her a signal to come closer. "Please, come here."
Rachel eyes flew to the line in the floor that kept them apart. She drew a shaky breath and pushed herself to move forward. She took Quinn's hand and in a matter of seconds she was crying inside the embrace of Quinn Fabray. She kept repeating a mantra of I'm sorries, while Quinn sooth her worries whispering near her ear soft reassurances. After a while Rachel's cries stopped and she moved to sit in a near chair; however, she made sure to keep Quinn's hand grasped tightly with her own.
"Quinn, your legs…"
"I'll be alright, I promise." Quinn's smile made Rachel's heart ache. "We'll go back to school soon enough Rach, and I want you to enjoy the last time you have."
"I' can't Quinn, not with you here." Rachel shook her head.
"Yes, you will. No offense, but you look like you have been all chewed up and then spit on the floor." Rachel's swollen eyes with bags under them, and skinny frame had scared Quinn a little when she first saw her.
"I haven't been sleeping well." Rachel confessed with a blush. Rachel didn't have to tell anything about the nightmares she had every night where she saw the blonde die in the car crash.
"Please Rachel, I don't want you to feel guilty. I want to see the same annoying little diva that you are when we return to classes. By then, I'll be probably in a wheel chair, but I promise to work very hard to walk on my own once again." Quinn smile was so bright that filled Rachel with a sense of calm and hope. Maybe things could go better from now on. Maybe all the things happened for a reason. Maybe just maybe everything will fall into place after today.
"Can I help you with that?" Rachel asked sheepishly.
"Yes, please."
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"Hey, princess you're spacing out again." Kurt voice woke Rachel from her reverie. Rachel kept thinking about that accident. After that day, Quinn's behavior gave 160 degrees turn. The bitchy Quinn disappeared almost completely. In her place, a more mature and amicable Quinn had resurged. Rachel often wondered what was what make the change. The sudden realization of her own mortality? The sudden epiphany that remained her about what was really important? There were thousands of possibilities, Rachel couldn't choose one.
Rachel sighed and stared at the last costumer that was leaving the diner. "It doesn't matter." She said to Kurt. "That was the last client."
"Still, what were you thinking?"
"Let her be, she is probably horny." Santana said with a smirk receiving a glare in response.
"Ok, I'm going to go to the kitchen and make the deserts for tomorrow." Quinn said walking to the kitchen door. In that precise moment, a group of cherry men entered the diner stumbling over their own feet. It was obvious they were drunk. Rachel frowned in disgust because she was practically even able to smell them from her spot next to the bar. She took a deep breath willing herself to calm down, and walk to the table where the men were awaiting the waitress.
"Welcome to Rusty's diner, may I take your order?" She asked politely forcing a fake smile to adorn her features. Rachel knew this night was not her night when the closest man to her leer at her with lust.
"Oh baby, I want a blown sausage." The man spoke with a hissing voice and his friend laughed at loud at the bad taste joke.
"I'm afraid that's not in the menu, Sir." Rachel answered squaring her jaws. She was very tempted to ask them to leave.
"I'm sure you can figure something out. You have a pretty, big mouth. I bet you can blow very well.
"Ok sir, I'm afraid I'm going to ask you and your friends to leave." Rachel said before turning around and walk to away. However, halfway to the bar a strong grip stopped her and twirled her around.
"Common baby, don't be a prude." The man pulled her until Rachel's body was pressed tightly against his front. Rachel tried to push him away, but he grabbed her by the wrists and kept her in place.
"Sir, you are drunk, please let me go." Rachel said with a stern voice.
"Or what?" Rachel wasn't even able to threat the man of calling the police before she was pulled away from the man. She watched Quinn step between them and glared at the man with electric eyes.
"You will keep your hands to yourself unless you want scramble eggs with that sausage, Sir." Rachel was surprised at the venom in Quinn's voice. The man was left startle by her sudden intervention while his group of friends laughed at loud at Quinn's words.
"Oh, man she just schooled you." One of his friends mocked earning a scoff from the assailant. Quinn didn't wait any longer, she put a hand in the low of Rachel's back and prompted the small singer to walk were Kurt was waiting for her next to the kitchen door. Rachel turned around and proceeded to move away and then everything turned into a commotion. The next thing Rachel noticed was a strong slap in her left ass cheek. When she turned around, she saw the men feet flying over his head when he stumbled with a chair. She rapidly turned to see Quinn who was breathing heavily with her fists in the air.
"You broke my nose." The man said while pushing himself off the floor. The other men stayed motionlessly looking at their friend with scared eyes. "You fucking bitch!" The man jumped to his feet and threw herself at Quinn. The rest were a blur of limbs rumbling in the floor. Rachel saw Quinn kicking the man in the guts, but soon after another man was trying to grab the blonde. Rachel didn't noticed when she started calling for help, but soon enough Santana and two other waiters that were in the kitchen before were joining the quarrel in the middle of the diner.
Rusty came out of the kitchen as well and together with the others, threw the group of drunken men out of the diner. "You are not welcome in this establishment anymore." Rusty said dusting his hands after closing the front door.
"Yeah, you betta walk away." Santana said giving them the stinky eye. "You ok, Q?" Santana said palming her friend in the back a couple of times.
"Could you be more late, S?" Quinn said holding her hand before her right eye. She will definitely have a black eye later. "They were four against one!"
"We even it up… besides you are ok and you knows how to kicks some ass." Santana said with a shrug.
"Oh my God, Quinn, are you alright?" Rachel move to her and started moving her hands over Quinn's body checking for injuries.
"I'm ok… are you?" Quinn asked holding Rachel hands still over her cheeks.
"You shouldn't have done that." Rachel admonished with a scowl. She immediately noticed the darkening skin around Quinn's right eye. "Your eye!" She exclaimed with concern.
"It's nothing." Quinn tried to reassure her, but the diva persistently grabbed her by the hand and started to drag her to the kitchen. Kurt was about to follow, however, Santana stopped him by stepping in front of him and cutting his path.
"Sorry, Ballerina, this is a restricted area, employees only." Santana said with a smirk. Kurt kept been oblivious to Quinn's and Rachel's relationship. For a gay man, his gaydar really sucked. He is lucky he already has Blane. Santana thought amusingly. She was going to let Quinn and Rachel to have their little moment of privacy… after all… their time together was getting short.
"What? Oh, common I spent most of my free time here, it's almost as if I work here."
"You heard that, Goffy? You may have a future employee here." Santana said to Rusty who scowled angrily at the Latina.
"My name is Rusty, Santana."
"Whatever Ruffy." The diner employers laughed with the Latina. Meanwhile, in the kitchen Rachel went to the freezer to bring Quinn ice to put over her swollen eye. Quinn was sitting in a chair while Rachel stood before her holding the package of ice over her eye.
"If you are waiting for me to apologize you should know I won't do it." Quinn smiled softly when she saw Rachel sighed in defeat.
"I know there is no use in reprimand you. Nevertheless, I still believe that your actions were quite dim-witted Quinn."
"He touched you." Quinn said as if it was excuse enough for her actions, and in her mind it was enough. Rachel was aware of that too. Quinn was a protector. It was funny now, to realize that after so many times of seeing Quinn as the aggressor when she was head cheerleader. As a matter of fact, even then Quinn had been a protector. She remembered the time Quinn had protected her from tugs and bullies.
That Quinn who was caring and gentle had always been there. She wondered if this was the Quinn, Santana and Britanny knew from when she was younger. She knew what had drew that Quinn away for so long, but she wondered what had managed to bring her back. Was it Beth, or maybe the car accident?
Rachel was not sure when it had happened, but slowly the HBIC disappeared to bring this Quinn into their lives. Rachel couldn't be more grateful. She admired the past Quinn, but she loved this Quinn. She couldn't imagine living without her anymore. Quinn was her dearest friend. She was kind, funny, gentle and loving. She had saved her in more ways than one. In a way she was her guardian angel. Rachel then remembered again the sight of Quinn lying in the hospital bed after her car accident. She remembered Quinn crying when Finn had broken up with her. She remembered Quinn running to the bathroom in tears when she lost her opportunity to become prom queen. So many times she had hurt her without intention. Somehow Quinn always ended up hurt because of her.
"And you have the scars to prove it." Rachel said at loud confusing Quinn.
"Scars? You are talking about the car accident again?" Rachel ignored her completely. She put away the ice and she leaned down to hug the blonde woman.
"You are an idiot." Rachel said while smiling against the top of Quinn's head. Quinn was by far the strongest person she had ever met. She didn't care getting hurt if she could protect others. It was such a noble thought, and at the same time idiotic. She is my idiot.
Quinn practically could hear the smile in Rachel's lips. She chuckled a little and returned the hug to the diva.
"You still like me, so I guess it is ok."
"An idiot and a charmer." Rachel laughed breaking the hug and stepping away from the ex-cheerleader. "Thank you, Quinn, for taking care of me all this time."
"It is my pleasure." Quinn feigned a bow before Rachel resumed her job of putting ice over Quinn's eye. Quinn sighed, not sure of what to do next. She really needed to talk to Rachel. Rachel was getting too attached to her. Just like she was getting attached to Rachel. She had to do something about it before it was too late. She was conjuring all her courage to open her mouth and speak, but she couldn't. The moment was too quiet, too peaceful. She couldn't do it. Maybe they could enjoy this proximity, this friendship a little longer.
… just a little longer.
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A/N: What? Was that a cliff-hanger? What does Quinn mean with that? Maybe… I did say something was about to happen.
You'll have to wait and see!
Please review! Seriously please!