I apologize for any mistakes.
To say she was nervous was an understatement.
Though to be fair, Rachel always made Quinn nervous.
Sometimes it was the good kind of nerves. The kind that makes you feel butterflies. Other times it felt like those butterflies had turned into moths. Or better yet, birds. But like humming birds, not something huge like a peacock. That'd be weird. Birds in your stomach in general would be weird.
See? Rachel makes her so nervous that she starts to categorize what kind of fluttering is going on in her stomach.
Right now? On a scale from butterflies to humming birds? It'd probably be a fucking Ostrich.
Rachel is in the choir room, her fingers fluttering over the keys of the piano. And Quinn is just standing outside, like a creep, watching her.
Alright Fabray, getcha head in the game. And now she has a High School Musical song stuck in her head. Perfect.
Quinn isn't sure how to announce her presence. She doesn't want to scare the girl any more than she already has for the day.
She clears her throat, thinking it's her best way to go.
Rachel jumps about a mile in the air even though it hadn't been very loud. She wipes at her face and sniffles slightly before turning around to face Quinn. She immediately recognizes the traces of tears. She'd been crying.
"You're crying." Quinn mumbles sadly. She mentally scolds herself for sounding so obtuse.
"Am I?" Rachel asks sarcastically. She's already gathering her belongings to leave.
"No, don't go." Quinn practically begs in a quiet voice. She's never heard herself sound so remorseful. Rachel eyes the blonde suspiciously, but she does not still her movements she continues gathering her sheet music.
Quinn moves around the piano trying to face the girl, but the diva avidly ignores her. She's hunched over her pink backpack, putting away her sheet music. Quinn kneels before her, trying to get to eye level. Rachel does nothing to acknowledge her.
Quinn gently places her hand over Rachel's hoping to still her movements. The girl flinches away. Quinn raises her hands, as if in surrender.
"I honestly didn't mean to make you cry." Quinn whispers honestly. Maybe if she speaks in a low voice, the girl will strain her ears to really listen to her words. Really hear the remorse behind them.
"What exactly were you trying to accomplish?" Rachel spits back angrily. She stands straightening herself. Quinn follows her lead with a sigh.
"Can I be honest with you?" It must be how vulnerable and remorseful Quinn looks and sounds that causes Rachel to take a pause.
This is what Quinn admires most about Rachel. She's still suspicious of Quinn's motives. And rightfully so. For all she knows Quinn had some humiliating prank planned for her, but despite all of this, she stops to listen. She's willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, or even just to pause and listen because she can hear the pain in someones's voice.
"I had no idea what I was doing. And I really am sorry because I didn't think of the consequences. I didn't think of how you would feel. But I promise the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you."
Rachel hesitates at the doorway a while longer before walking over to Quinn. She leaves a considerable amount of space between them.
"You're lying." Rachel's tone is inquisitive. Almost asking for the full story.
"I am sorry Rachel." Quinn tells her firmly.
"I do believe that your apology is sincere." Rachel allows. "But you don't just kiss someone for no reason." Quinn could be wrong, but is that- does she sound hopeful?
"I don't know what to tell you." Quinn tells her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. A self conscious tick she has whenever she's nervous. She suddenly has to avoid Rachel's gaze. She had come looking for her to apologize. Nothing more.
It never gets easier. Putting your heart on the line. She knows there is an attraction there, but Rachel couldn't possibly feel the same way Quinn does. Quinn's feelings have developed stronger and stronger for the diva every day.
"How about the truth?" Rachel asks her carefully. She taps her foot impatiently, though she has given Quinn a chance to defend herself, she hasn't forgiven her.
Quinn smiles slightly at the tapping foot. How can a tiny girl be so adorable? Does she have reserves of it somewhere?
"Quinn?" Rachel's patience is running thin.
"You're asking yourself if I suddenly developed feelings for you over night?" Quinn dodges the question with a question.
Rachel furrows her brow. Like maybe the thought crossed her mind.
"I didn't. It's always been there. I think you know that though." All of Quinn's days are getting muddled together so she isn't quite sure if before her eternal loop of mondays she ever showed signs of having feelings for the girl.
Rachel still looks skeptical, she even looks around the room.
"No Pigs blood or Slushie balloons. Promise." Quinn swears.
"Can you read minds?" Rachel asks, eyes wide. She then shakes her head, ridding herself of her ridiculous theories.
"Can you blame me for not believing any of this?" Rachel asks instead of freaking out from the confession. Quinn bites her lip, shifting her eyes to the ground. She shakes her head.
"Of course not." She answers.
"I mean you have to know how this sounds to me Quinn." Rachel tells her. "Friday you were calling me Man Hands and it's like you showed up at school after the weekend and you're this whole different person when it comes to me."
"When it comes to you?" Quinn implores curiously. It rings all too familiar with what Brittany was saying.
"Well. You showed up this morning offering to help me, but then right after we dropped off the box a freshman dropped all of her papers on the ground and you didn't bother to help her."
"I was running late for class." Quinn mumbles in defense. It's not that hadn't thought about it, but she really had been running late.
"It's just THE Quinn Fabray all of a sudden has feelings for me? Are you going to announce it to all of McKinley?"
Quinn's immediate response is to fervently shake her head. Her stomach twists uncomfortably and he heart begins to race. It's like her throat has closed and she can't breathe.
She may have come to terms with her feelings but it didn't mean she was suddenly ready to shout it from the roof tops. How would Judy respond? Would she be kicked out again? Kurt had to transfer to a private school because the bullying had gotten so out of hand.
She's never felt fear like this before in her life.
She doesn't even realize that Rachel's hand is squeezing her shoulder until the girl is waving a hand in front of her face.
"Quinn, just breathe. Quinn." Rachel actually sounds scared for her.
Quinn is pretty sure she's having a panic attack.
"What's going on?" Santana's voice rings out. "What did you do to her?" Santana is already trying to pry Rachel's hand from Quinn's shoulder. She sounds angry, already blaming Rachel.
Quinn shakes her head, though she is having trouble inhaling oxygen into her lungs. She leans closer into her Rachel, trying to show Santana that Rachel did nothing wrong.
Her friend still looks livid.
"Do something!" Rachel tells Santana, her voice an octave higher than usual. She's panicking, unsure of what to do.
"Like what?" Santana asks sounding both annoyed and worried. Only Santana can think her best friend having a panic attack as a drag.
"Get her a brown paper bag. They do that in the movies." Brittany suggests. Has she been here the whole time?
"She'll pass out before we find one!" Rachel screeches hysterically. If Quinn could laugh, she would. Rachel looks like she's about to burst into tears. Santana looks frustrated that Quinn can't breathe. Brittany tilts her head curiously at Quinn, looking like a confused puppy.
"I got an idea!" Brittany announces, taking Quinn's face in her hands. She presses her lips to Quinn's.
The three girls react in the same way. Their eyes widen in shock, but then Brittany blows air right into Quinn's mouth. It immediately forces Quinn's lungs to cooperate with the movement. The blonde staggers a few feet away from the bubbly blonde. Brittany looks like she might try it again so Quinn holds up her hand, telling her she can figure out how to regulate her breathing on her own.
It takes a few moments, but finally Quinn can breathe. Rachel looks slightly scandalized. Santana looks pissed. Brittany looks pleased with herself.
"It worked!" She smiles proudly. She raises her hand expectantly. Santana frowns but meets her girlfriend for a high five then glares at Rachel until she does the same.
"Thanks Britt." Quinn thanks her friend, meeting her for the high five. She wasn't sure how to take Santana's glare. It's not like Quinn asked for Brittany to give her an impromptu CPR.
"What the hell happened?" Santana asks, crossing her arms. She looks at Rachel pointedly. Quinn had been the one who couldn't breathe, so clearly Rachel was at fault.
"I don't see how it's any of your business Santana. This-" Rachel is cut off.
"Finish that sentence, I dare you." Santana challenges.
"Back off S." Quinn steps forward between Santana and Rachel.
"Don't get me started on you-"
"SAN!" Brittany cuts her girlfriend off harshly. Santana looks sufficiently chastised.
Rachel looks completely lost. She wasn't aware how strange the Unholy Trinity was. The Diva walks around Quinn and looks at her seriously.
"I know you're not lying now Quinn." She tells her. "But that reaction wasn't exactly encouraging."
Quinn hadn't ever thought that far ahead. She feels stupid for not thinking of it before now. Her only goal was to get Rachel to admit her feelings as well, but what then? Did they become a couple? If Quinn is honest with herself, that is more than she could ever ask for, but she is not ready to tell people.
Rachel isn't the type of person to hide who she is. She's proud of who she is. And even if that weren't the case, Quinn would not ask that of Rachel. She would not ask her to be in a secret relationship. That wasn't fair.
"I just- I need time to think about this. Can we talk about it tomorrow?" Rachel gathers her belongings once again. Quinn goes to follow her. There is no tomorrow for her.
"Please Quinn. I just need some space." Rachel asks of her. And because she asks, Quinn respects her wishes.
She put her heart on the line and Rachel won't even remember it tomorrow.
The following couple of weeks were spent with Santana and Quinn finding a way to redeem themselves,
Quinn was tired of putting herself out there for Rachel so she thought she would put that part of her plan on hold.
Santana however, was adamant about going every morning to get flowers for Brittany. Other than that, their routines varied depending on where their good deeds took them.
Today they found themselves skipping their morning classes to walk around the suburbs of Lima. Mostly what found them in that area was a lost dog they found not far from Brittany's house.
"His name is Buddy like that one movie air bud!" Brittany cheers excitedly. She decided to ditch school to spend time with Quinn and Santana.
The dog had been cautious approaching them when they found him. Like maybe it had encountered a harsh journey upon running away from home.
"Do you think he can play basketball?" Brittany asks, eyes wide in wonder. Santana pulls Brittany in for a quick kiss before dropping to her knees to pet the golden retriever.
"You play ball Buddy?" Santana asks sweetly. Quinn wasn't aware her friend was a dog person. To be honest, she didn't think her friend was an animal person. The dog perked his ears up, content with the attention.
"Why did we come walking, this would be so much easier if we had taken my car." Quinn asks. They had been walking for over an hour and still had yet to reach the house written on the dogs collar.
"Aw c'mon Quinn, aren't you having fun?" Brittany asks her friend with a pout.
"I am." Quinn concedes before Santana can glare at her, or worse, get abusive towards her.
"It's just a couple more blocks, Q. Quinn Bitching." Santana tells her friend, getting to her feet so they can continue walking.
"So I've been thinking." Quinn starts, her thoughts had been lingering on an idea that unsttles her.
"Oh God." Santana groans, but perks up to listen to Quinn regardless.
"Yeah Quinn?" Brittany asks curiously.
"So we're going around doing all these nice things right?" She waits for her friends to nod before continuing. "But why are we doing them?"
"So this crazy voodoo shit will stop and we finally wake up on a tuesday." Santana tells her like it's the most obvious thing. Quinn nods, expecting the answer.
"So does that mean we're changing? Because I'm not sure we are. We're not becoming good people because we're only doing this because we have to. Not because we want to."
Santana looks like she is about to argue, but it seems she can't find the words. Brittany furrows her brows at the thought.
"But you are doing nice things." Brittany argues. Quinn nods her head. So far they had saved people from slushies, helped changed flats, stood up against bullies.
"But for what reasons?" Santana asks, her mind going to the same place Quinn's is at. Would they ever live a normal life?
The girls are silent, contemplating what they could do to change their fate as they walk Buddy to his home.
They are only a block away when Quinn notices smoke billowing from a house at the corner of the street.
"You don't think anyone is in there, do you?" Brittany asks, concerned.
That's when Quinn hears the wail of an infant. She doesn't even hesitate to make a run towards the door even though, now that they are in the front lawn, they can see flames through the window.
"Call 911!" She hollers back to her best friends.
"Quinn wait! Wait for the fire department. Dammit Quinn!" The sound Santana's voice is drowned out as soon as she bursts through the front door. There is so much smoke she can't see 3 feet in front of her.
She immediately begins to bark out coughs, smoke coating her throat and filling her lungs. Her eyes begin to water from the pain.
Her first thought is to stop drop and roll. At least that's what they taught her in elementary school. Then she realizes she is not the one on fire. She gets on her hands and knees and begins to crawl through the house.
The wailing of the child continues, leading Quinn up the stairs.
"Fuckin Fabray!" Quinn hears her best friend coughing just behind her. She turns slightly and is barely able to make out her figure through the smoke. Quinn takes a hold of her friends wrist and yanks her to her hands and knees.
"Stay low!" Quinn barks harshly. She hadn't wanted her friend to follow her in. Just because she was stupid enough to run into a burning building doesn't mean she wanted her friend to follow.
The cheerios crawl their way through the house until they make it to what looks like a nursery. Just behind a crib is the body of an unconscious woman.
"Grab the baby!" Santana orders her best friend, already trying to lug the lady over her shoulders. The baby's wails are slowly subsiding. That cannot be a good sign.
"No!" Quinn reaches into the crib for the child and hands it over to Santana. It's not that Santana is weak, but she's considerably smaller than Quinn. She doesn't want to take the chance.
"You take the baby. I'll be right behind you." Quinn is already shoving her friend out of the room. Santana only deliberates for a second before nodding. She carefully crawls out of the room with the baby cradled in one arm.
Quinn can feel the strain her her chest and the itch in her throat, but she pushes through it, for once being thankful of the crazy routines Sue Sylvester put them through during practice. If it weren't for her, she may not have been able to get out of there. Quinn took one deep breath, pulled the woman onto her shoulder, and made a run down the stairs. She stumbled most of the way down, thankful that the fire hadn't spread past what looked like the kitchen. The smoke on the other hand? That was everywhere.
As soon as she made it outside she fell to her knees, sucking in as much clean air as possible. Deep, shuttering breaths.
Arms circled around her waist, pulling her to her feet, further away from the burning house.
She was too busy coughing to even realize that the fire department and ambulances had arrived.
"Santana!" Quinn croaked as soon as she felt capable enough to use her voice. She needs to know where her friend is. Where is Santana? Did she get out?
"Over here dumb ass!" Santana croaked back. Quinn was being lead over to the ambulance her friend was sitting at, an oxygen mask pressed to her face.
"Keep that on." The EMT instructed the Latina, but she smacked his hands away and stood shakily to her feet, with he help of Brittany, and pulled Quinn into her arms. She sighed in relief.
"God dammit Q." Santana muttered emotionally. Brittany took them both into her arms before releasing them because Quinn's coughing was getting out of hand.
They sat in the back of the rig, Quinn and Santana with oxygens masks pressed to their faces, Brittany with her arms around both and with Buddy at her feet, and sirens blaring the background.
Soon News Vans showed up, reporters with their cameras, and nearby neighbors. The mother and infant had already been transported to the nearest hospital while the three cheerleaders stared over at the house.
Reporters kept on wanting to snap pictures of the teenaged cheerleaders, soot covered faces. Quinn could see the headlines now. Sue would be elated at the free publicity. She's probably create a whole routine around an inferno type situation to pay homage to the event.
"This whole being a decent human being is going to kill us." Santana croaks, removing her oxygen mask to speak.
"So dead." Quinn agrees, fumbling with her mask. She still isn't quite in control of herself. Brittany frowns and adjusts the mask for her friend.
"Don't move it." Brittany tells both girls seriously.
"Hey girls. Thought you'd like to know, the mother and baby are going to be fine." One of the EMT's approached them with a smile.
Santana and Quinn turned to look at one another, grins visible behind the masks. The Latina removes her mask.
"So worth it." She grins, before Brittany can smack her hands away to place the mask properly on her face.
Instead of answering. Quinn nods at her friend. Even if it had been an accident. Just being at the right place at the right time, all because they were try to be 'decent human beings' as Santana put it, they had accidentally stumbled on a potential tragedy. They had saved lives because of it. Santana was right. Everything they are going through is worth it if it means they got to save lives.
Hi guys! How are you? Hope you're all doing well.
Just want to give you guys a heads up that this will be coming to an end soon. 4 maybe 5 chapters left.
What did you guys think? -A