Chapter 13
Present Day
Despite having the shortest legs of the trio, Rachel is the one who sets the pace for their walk through the park. When they arrive at the fountain, Kurt sits down on the edge, trying to catch his breath.
"I don't see any balloons," Rachel says dejectedly.
"Explain again why this place is significant," Blaine says, taking a seat next to Kurt.
"There are a lot of reasons," Rachel says with a sigh, sinking down on the other side of Kurt.
"But there must be one that sticks out. A performance," Kurt says.
"Graduation," Rachel says, smacking her forehead with her palm. "The day Quinn graduated from college, we came here after dinner and she sang with a band, this bunch of musicians who get together three or four times a year to give impromptu concerts. They don't advertise though. Quinn only knew they were performing because she was friends with the double bassist at college. He doesn't play with them anymore and we've never watched them play since."
"And the performance?" Blaine asks, still confused.
"Quinn sang with them," Rachel grins. Kurt's mouth falls open in shock.
"You never told us!"
"She didn't want to make a big deal about it," Rachel says. "Remember when we all went to Mike's? And we begged for her to sing but she wouldn't do it? I thought she was scared but she got up on stage and sang with this band. And it was incredible."
"What did she sing?"
"Remember the New Year's Party at Quinn's house?"
"Parts of it," Blaine says, making a face. Kurt rolls his eyes.
"Yes! She sang 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'… or she tried to… until Judy bogarted the microphone. She got us to conga around the lounge during the bridge."
"Well, there were no Judy's to ruin it this time," Rachel beams, sighing at the memory before glancing at Blaine who's squinting around, a perplexed expression on his face. He springs to his feet, pulling Kurt with him. Rachel gives them a questioning look and starts to ask where they're going until Blaine shushes her.
"Listen," he urges. Rachel frowns and tries to drown out the noise of the people milling around, the sound of chairs scraping and children laughing as they chase each other. Music is drifting over the tops of the trees towards them.
"Are you kidding me?" Rachel mutters and gets to her feet, taking off in the direction of the music. Blaine and Kurt are on her heels, speeding away from the fountain until Rachel pulls up short in a clearing, hand clutched to her chest.
Like the last time she stood in this exact spot, there are tables and chairs placed randomly around, there are a few couples dancing near the stage but this time, there are balloons everywhere. Balloons are attached to chairs and bunched together on tables and hanging from trees.
"Found the balloons then," Blaine says, untangling one from a nearby tree to pass it to Kurt.
The table nearest the front has a reserved sign on it and Rachel makes a beeline for it, heart racing when she spots the familiar white envelope hidden beneath the sign. Kurt and Blaine sit down, waiting for the brunette to rip into the note.
"Open it," Kurt squeals, passing it to Rachel. It feels slightly heavier than the last and she opts to be a little more careful, peeling it open with care. The note falls out along with a smaller envelope.
Give Kurt the envelope and get on stage.
It's where you belong.
Love you x
"She really has got it all planned out," Rachel grins, remembering their conversation after Quinn had performed with the band as Kurt picks up the smaller envelope.
"You were amazing," Rachel whispers, tucking herself into Quinn's side as they walk out of the park.
"It felt wrong. You watching me. Next time, it's your turn. If we find them again," Quinn replies.
"Rach? I think you need to get onstage," Kurt says, gesturing towards the band. The pianist is standing at the front, holding his hand out to the brunette. With a nudge from Blaine, she walks up, listening to polite applause from the couples who have stopped dancing. An embarrassed smile crosses her face as she takes up her position at the microphone but then, as usual, a feeling of total calm washes over her and she turns to look at the band expectantly.
Without giving any indication of the song she's singing, the band begins to play and Rachel starts to laugh, recognising it after the first bar. The violins swell through the introduction and Rachel takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and lets her voice push out of her.
Memories of the New Year's Party flood her mind as she sings through the first verse.
"There's no way you can sing this song!" Artie insists, nursing an almost empty glass of whatever they've been sneaking out of Judy's liquor cabinet.
"Fifty bucks says she can," Puck counters, extending his arm across the coffee table.
Rachel shivers as Quinn's hand slides around her back and the blonde leans in close, breath tickling her neck.
"If you sing this, I might have to marry you," Quinn murmurs. Rachel turns to look at her girlfriend, unable to form words at the look in Quinn's eyes. Quinn leans in a little closer and presses a soft kiss against Rachel's unmoving lips. There's no doubt in the brunette's mind that she'll marry this girl, regardless of whether or not she sings the song.
"Love you," Rachel whispers when they part and Quinn smiles. They turn back to the others and Rachel rolls her eyes dramatically and shakes her head. "This is definitely a song for Mercedes to rock." She gestures for her friend to take the microphone away from one of Judy's friends who is massacring a Sinatra song.
Mercedes rocks the song so hard that the speakers almost explode into blazing smithereens.
As the party winds down, the pair escape outside, wrapped in blankets stolen from the den. They sit down on the swing on the back porch as close as physically possible to keep warm.
"You could have sung the song," Quinn says sleepily, resting her head on Rachel's shoulder. "You would have nailed it."
Rachel responds by getting to her feet, tugging Quinn to her feet. The blankets fall away causing both girls to shiver.
"Dance with me?" Rachel asks, hands on Quinn's shoulders, sliding up until her fingers link behind the blonde's neck.
"There's a slight lack of music," Quinn chuckles.
"At last," Rachel starts to sing out, feeling the goosebumps rise all over Quinn's skin.
A blush rises over Rachel's cheeks as her mind steers her towards what happened after their dance on the back porch. Quinn's hand in her own leading her up to the bedroom, nervous kisses that had become needy and urgent, reassurances that it didn't hurt, moans, skin against skin and the most amazing sensation Rachel had felt other than being centre stage.
When the song ends, there's rapturous applause and Kurt helps her down from the stage.
"You look a little flushed," he notes, leading her back to the table and pouring her a glass of water from the jug sitting there.
"It's a hot day," Rachel says, gulping down the water. "And that song is hard work."
Her mind is so wrapped up in the past that she momentarily forgets about the second envelope. Kurt waves it in front of her and she snatches it eagerly. Two jigsaw pieces tumble onto the table and a note with a single line written on it.
Meet me here at 7.
"Where?" Rachel asks, turning the card over to find the other side blank.
"Um, Rach," Kurt says, idly playing with one of the jigsaw pieces. "It might be time to put the pieces together."
"Oh!"
Blaine passes her bag across the table and she tips the rest of the pieces out. It takes them less than a minute to piece them together.
"What time is it?" Rachel asks, staring at the jigsaw, running her fingers over the pieces. A small smile plays on her lips at the memory of her first date with Quinn in New York and the blonde's attempts to be chivalrous; the attempt that completely backfired when Quinn reached to pull open a door as someone on the other side pushed and it hit her in the face, earning her the nickname Klutz.
"Five," Blaine says, checking the time on Kurt's watch.
"You have your own watch!" Kurt huffs. "What's going on?"
"I have to go home and get changed," she says, glancing up at them with a grin. She gathers up her bags and the jigsaw pieces, rushing around the table to press kisses to both men's cheeks. "Thanks for everything, you two. I need to get ready!"
Rachel turns and makes her way out of the clearing, Kurt's calls drowning amongst the rest of the noise surrounding the fountain. She hails a cab and reels off her address so quickly that the driver asks her to repeat it three times before he understands.
She manages to harness her excitement until she's safely inside her apartment. She spins the lock on the door and starts to jump around the hallway, squealing until she remembers that she has to shower and change and make her way back into the city in just over an hour.
Grabbing the bag with dress inside it, she skips along the hardwood floor to her bedroom. Their bedroom. Her favourite room in the apartment.