Disclaimer: I don't own Glee
Rachel was in her bedroom when Kurt came traipsing through the door.
"Kurt? How did you? Why? What are you doing here?" Rachel asked with confusion and annoyance etched on her face.
"I came to talk to you. And your Dad let me in." He replied as he sat on the chair by the desk and wheeled himself over to sit across from the diva.
"What is it Kurt, is something wrong? How's Burt?" Rachel became concerned as she gave the boy her undivided attention.
"My Dad's fine. But there is something wrong, and I need you to tell me what it is."
Rachel shifted on the bed anxiously as she avoided his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about." She replied quietly.
Kurt scoffed. "Come on! Am I not your best friend?"
"Yes, you are."
"Did I not help you through your tears when Shelby returned at the beginning of the year?"
Rachel nodded. "And I appreciated that. I told you so."
He waved a hand at her as if to dismiss it. "That's what friends are for Rach, I've been there for you and never asked anything in return. And you've been there for me when I have issues with Blaine. You even stuffed the ballot box for me."
"How are things with you and Blaine?"
"Good." He studied her. "Why wouldn't they be?"
"I didn't mean anything by it, I was just inquiring." She raised an eyebrow. "Because that's what friends do."
He rolled his eyes at her. "Don't get cute with me."
"Cute, huh?"
"Rachel, I swear! Something is going on and you're not telling me."
"Quinn and I are going on a date. Harmony's joining our glee club, so I've been spending time with her and she's pretty cool. You'd like her if you gave her a chance. And Santana's just…Santana. She'll probably go back to calling me names and insulting my wardrobe choices tomorrow."
"Your wardrobe choices have improved, if I may be frank. But that's probably because my fabulous style is rubbing off on you."
Rachel sighed, and then smiled brightly. "When did you get so modest?"
"Please, modesty is for people who have nothing to brag about."
Rachel's smiled darkened and her eyes lit up. "You know that is so true. Here I've been trying to let others have a chance to shine when really I should insist on the spotlight."
"God, what have I done?" Kurt groaned, causing Rachel to giggle manically. After Rachel's laughter died down, she became serious as she spoke.
"Kurt, believe me, I wish that I could tell you the rest but it isn't really my place to say." Rachel hated lying and wasn't about to make up a bold faced lie to tell her best friend, even if it was for his own good.
He sighed. "I believe you."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a little while before Kurt spoke again. "Why didn't you tell me about your Daddy?"
Rachel's eyes immediately started to tear up at the mention of her Daddy. "I…I just found out and then things happened with Quinn and everything got carried away. We haven't even officially gotten together yet and we already had our first fight and…"
He smiled knowingly. "You two always fight."
"This was different Kurt; this felt like it could have changed everything. I was scared that I ruined it before we even got a chance to start."
"But you two looked good today, I mean, she seemed happy with you."
"We're good now." She smiled, remembering the moment she and Quinn shared in the bathroom. Why did life altering things always happen between the two of them in bathrooms? Although if she thought about it, most of the moments spent alone with Quinn had been life altering in one way or another.
Kurt shook his head at the sight of Rachel lost in thought. "It's real between the two of you, isn't it? I mean, a lot of us suspected that there was something going on with you two but whatever it was, it was hard to define. Mercedes will freak. Does she know? Though it was sort of obvious at your birthday party, with Quinn throwing herself at you. What happened after that, by the way?"
Rachel stared at Kurt with amusement. "You ramble worse than I do now."
"Adverse side effect to being your best friend." He replied with a grin.
"I wouldn't change it for the world." Rachel answered back.
Their moment was interrupted by an incessant knock on the front door. Rachel looked at Kurt apologetically before rushing down the stairs to answer it. While she was gone, he snooped around her bedroom for clues to the secrets she was keeping.
Rachel opened the door to find Quinn. The blonde had red rimmed, puffy eyes making it obvious that she'd been crying.
"Quinn?" Rachel whispered as she pulled the girl to her and held her tightly. "What's wrong?"
"Fran…she's sick."
Rachel swallowed audibly, before leading Quinn to the living room and sitting beside her on the couch. She kept her arms around the girl as she soothingly rubbed Quinn's back. "Tell me what's wrong with her."
Quinn sniffled and tried to regain her composure. "She and her husband, Eli, were supposed to come out for Christmas but Mom said that they were both sick. And with her pregnant…." She trailed off starting to sob again.
"Quinn? Sick how?" Rachel asked forcefully so Quinn could hear her.
"Mom said the flu but…"
Rachel pulled away and forced Quinn to look at her. "Then it's the flu. It's the middle of winter, people get sick Quinn."
"But…"
"Was your Mom concerned? Is the baby okay?"
"The baby's fine and Mom seemed fine. She didn't say much just that Fran didn't want us to get sick so she was going to stay home."
Kurt cleared his throat from behind them. "I'm just going to take off. Rachel, I'll talk to you later. Quinn, I hope your sister and brother-in-law feel better."
"Thank you, Kurt." Quinn replied, looking at him with confusion because she hadn't realized that Rachel already had company. "I'm sorry I scared you away."
"Nonsense. I think I overstayed my welcome anyway." He grinned at the girls before walking out the door.
Rachel turned back toward Quinn who was watching her intently. "I am sorry that I interrupted, for apparently no reason because I was overreacting and I'm an idiot."
Rachel wiped away Quinn's tears, resting her hands on the blonde's cheeks. Quinn shivered at the contact. Rachel leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the corner of Quinn's mouth causing the blonde's breathing to become shallow.
As Rachel slowly pulled away, she had a genuine smile on her face. Her eyes were bright, and made Quinn feel safe. "Quinn, never apologize for needing me. I like that you came to me when you were upset, I'd hate to think that you'd internalize all of this like you used to. But I want you to stop blaming yourself for every bad thing that will happen from now until eternity, okay? People got sick long before anyone messed with time, and people will continue to get sick. It just happens. Okay? Please, don't blame yourself for something that you have no control over and wasn't even your fault to begin with."
She waited for Quinn to nod her acceptance before kissing the blonde on the lips chastely. When she pulled away, Quinn's eyes were still closed. "You have to promise me Quinn, okay?"
Quinn's eyes fluttered open as she looked into Rachel's brown depths. "I promise."
Rachel smiled contently. "Great. The next order of business is inviting you and your mom to join us for Christmas dinner."
"Rachel…I…"
"You will call your mother right now and invite her over for tomorrow. Dinner will be at 5 o'clock sharp."
She stared at the blonde until Quinn sighed at grabbed her phone to text her mom.
"And while you're at it, ask her if you can stay the night tonight." Rachel noticed Quinn's fingers pause their movements. "I mean, if you'd like to. Obviously I won't make you…"
She was cut off mid-rant when Quinn's arms enveloped her tightly, eliminating her ability to breathe.
"Of course I want to stay here, Rach." Quinn whispered in the brunette's ear. Her lips grazed the shell of Rachel's ear and caused her to shiver. Quinn noticed and smiled as she pulled away. "Thank you for everything."
Quinn went back to typing a message to her mom as Rachel watched her with a smile.
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As Kurt drove back to his house, he glanced over at the photo album he took from Rachel's bedroom. He saw a journal sitting on top of it but felt like too much of a perv to 'burrow' that so he just swiped the album. It intrigued him because he had never seen it before and when he peeked inside and saw some interesting photos that he swore had to be photoshopped, he decided to take it home to get a better look at it. He hoped that it held the answer to the secrets he knew Rachel was keeping from him, and more than that he hoped that she wouldn't be too upset with him when she realized it was missing…