Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews and thank you for everything! LOL. I'm sorry for this late update but I hope you like it.

Major cliffy ahead. Yay! I'm so excited for revealing the whole past to you. So yeah, we'll start now.

The next morning, everything went normally about Rachel's life. She could only remember sitting beside Quinn inside the cab and staying silent the entire night because she felt as if crying a river once she tried talking to Quinn.

The blonde, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice. Or so Rachel thought. She was busy indulging all night on Rachel's website answering some interesting fan mails and publishing press releases about Rachel's upcoming shows.

Well, actually, Rachel was wrong when she thought that Quinn didn't notice. When Quinn saw Rachel try to hide her tears when she approached the cab last night, Quinn hurriedly put out her laptop and pretended to do something really significant. It still scared her to see Rachel in a vulnerable state. She didn't know how to react so she pretended she didn't know anything at all.

Rachel woke up that morning with a text from Brittany saying she needed to talk to Rachel about something over breakfast. Brittany told her that Santana went to class early. Before heading back to her own apartment, she thought twice about leaving sleeping (Quinn) beauty alone.

But then, just upon thinking about Quinn, Rachel decided she can't handle any more emotional torture so she left Quinn a note saying that she'll see her at rehearsal that afternoon.

The next thing she knew, she's inside her and Brittany's home, sitting and having breakfast with her newly-engaged roommate. She wasn't okay, so she never really talked but Brittany knew better.

"San told me about her yelling," Brittany said quietly.

Rachel just sighed.

"Rach, I'm truly sorry about what she did but you really can't-"

"Blame her?" Rachel said looking up at Brittany and then going back to staring at her cup of coffee resting on the table. "I'm not really blaming her. I just don't understand because I… She was right. I don't know anything."

Brittany straightened up, "Rach. Can I be honest with you?"

Rachel felt a little nervous about this but this is Brittany, she knows this girl never wants to hurt anyone. "Sure," she replied.

"Sometimes, I think you don't have a heart."

Rachel's tears threatened her eyes. She, in fact, has a heart and it's breaking right now.

"But, living with you, I realized that you're just scared to let anyone in because it was rudely broken by Finn, Glee… and others. But you know what Rachel?"

Rachel looked at Brittany who was actually looking very sincere.

"When you got hurt once in your life, it doesn't mean you'll have to hurt the world by pretending you don't need anyone else," Brittany blinked. "Sometimes, honestly, R. It hurts me when you shut me down," Brittany's eyes stared directly at Rachel.

"But I understand you and I never hated you for hurting me. But look at you, R. You're not happy. And though the world can believe that you are happy, you can't fool me because I and Santana saw Rachel Berry when she was really happy. And this," she points at Rachel, "is not that Rachel."

Rachel's tears were now streaming down her face.

"San told me about Quinn's sickness," Brittany said a little hesitantly.

Rachel's heart raced. She can't even look at Brittany. She remembered the reason she cried herself to sleep last night aside from the Santana incident. She called Charles and asked about how he met Quinn. Charles was at first hesitant to answer but then gave out the lines that killed Rachel for the night.

"Quinn's professor in college was my sister. She told me about how good Quinn was and how she felt sorry for her. Quinn was a devastated young girl in college, she suffered from bulimia for almost a year and a half. My sister felt bad about her because she was young and beautiful. She wanted me to call Quinn's firm and get her for you. Apparently, my sister wasn't wrong about Quinn being beautiful and young, not to mention smart. I feel secretly sorry about her but look at Quinn now. She's all good."

"I asked..." Rachel's silent tears turned into sobs. Just the images of the devastated and broken Quinn Fabray shattered her whole being into pieces.

It hurt her to even just imagine how such an amazing, beautiful and charming young woman would suffer such thing. Rachel's heart broke at how Quinn paid for the consequences of teenage pregnancy but this, bulimia, is another thing. Quinn was an angel in Rachel's eyes and still is. And it broke Rachel's heart thinking that she might and most definitely be the reason behind it.

"You already know?" Brittany asked.

Rachel still can't look at Brittany, "I asked Charles last night."

"San told me," Brittany's voice trembled as tears started to form in her eyes, "Quinn calls your name when it hurt so much."

That, and Brittany broke into sobs. So did Rachel.

"I went to see her when the tour came to LA," Brittany tried to keep talking in between sobs, "she was pale and thin and she looked… really bad."

Suddenly, breathing became so hard for Rachel.

"And before we parted ways after we had dinner that time," Brittany sighed. Honestly, this is breaking her. "Q told me to never put sugar on your tea because it gives you really bad dreams," Brittany finished.

Hearing that, Rachel stood from her stool and ran to Brittany. She hugged the blonde and the blonde held her as if it was one of those drunken nights.

"I… didn't mean to hurt… her, B," Rachel said trying to sound okay despite the crying and sobbing and panting.

"I know, Rach."

o-o-o-o-o

Aside from pretending she wasn't really aware of Rachel's sadness, Quinn rather had a simple night. The ride to her and Santana's place was silent, awkward and lonely. She checked on Rachel's schedule for the whole month although she already memorized it, it was the only way to avoid Rachel.

When they got home, Quinn asked Rachel if she wanted to eat something but the brunette just replied with a silent no and then asked where she would be sleeping. Quinn knew at that Rachel didn't want to talk. She knew Rachel a lot in this aspect, if she wanted to talk, she would. So Quinn didn't push the subject and just showed Rachel Santana's room and left her there.

Quinn didn't know what happened in that brief moment between Rachel and Santana but she was sure Rachel was affected by it. But she can't do anything. Santana told her too many times before that she wouldn't be holding back if ever she sees the diva. She was warned.

She doesn't make it show but the thought about Santana taking it on Rachel broke her apart. She loved Rachel more than she could love anyone. Loved.

Back in senior year

Quinn was in love. It was one thing that the blonde was sure about when she woke up that morning.

Quinn Fabray was a girl broken from the inside. Her insecurities and uncertainties kept her away from people she loved but this is different. The same broken Quinn Fabray was sure about something for the first time in her life.

It was six in the morning and she has Cheerios practice in about an hour. She found it hard to start her morning routine having only two or three hours of sleep.

Okay, so Quinn spent the whole night talking to Rachel over the phone.

This had been their routine over the past few weeks, okay, months. The diva never really liked staying up late but she always refuses to hang up.

They spend the first three to four hours talking about school, Glee, careers, New York, Broadway; sometimes they talked about nothing. Sometimes, ten minutes will pass without them saying a word – it might be because Rachel was so focused on watching another musical or maybe Quinn was focused on the book she was reading – but none of them will hang up.

Sometimes, they talked about the color of Rachel's pillow though Quinn knew it was pink. She only asked it for the sake of conversation and she adored how Rachel said pink is the color of beauty.

They spend the final hour of their incredibly long phone talk just arguing about who should hang up first. Rachel didn't want to hang up because she would reason that Quinn was the one who called so Quinn should hang up. And Quinn would just say that she doesn't want to hang up because she wants Rachel to sing her to sleep. Sometimes, Rachel actually sang to her but when Quinn fell asleep on her once, she never did it again.

This went on for weeks and months… and Quinn loved it, every second of it.

During mornings, Quinn would send Rachel a good morning text and the diva would reply almost immediately.

Before they proceeded to their morning rituals, Rachel would text her "I love you".

The first time Quinn received the text, it made her so happy that it reflected her entire day because she was suddenly nice to every Cheerio she used to yell at, every student she used to ignore and even to school janitors.

It took quite some time but Quinn learned to reply, "You too." And then, it became "I love you more."

Sometimes, in the middle of Quinn's classes Rachel would send her a text saying "I love you when you're so focused on your lesson."

Quinn would smile and look through the mini-windows of their classroom and finds Rachel outside watching her.

Sometimes, in one of Rachel's classes, the diva would receive a message from Quinn saying "look under your seat." And Rachel would follow only to find a note saying, "I love you when you're not concentrating on your Math." Quinn left the note the night before and placed it under that chair because she knew Rachel would always sit there.

Quinn didn't know why but she felt braver when she woke up that morning.

She realized the night before that she and Rachel have been like that for the past few months but they never talked about it.

Quinn never asked Rachel what "I love you" meant. She never asked the diva why she trusted her so much. She never asked Rachel about the hugs and the hand holds.

The diva never asked about the "I love you, more". Rachel never asked about the notes and the sweet glances.

Quinn never asked herself about why she always felt weak on the knees whenever the diva approached her. She never asked why her heart would race whenever they were close and most of all, Quinn never asked herself why the face that she hated all her life was suddenly the best part of her day.

Quinn didn't ask, never. She knew the answer but she never counted on it until anything is confirmed. She smiled upon the thought that maybe, they had been in love long before they knew it.

She held her thought all day – in between classes and Glee, she acted normal around everyone else especially around Rachel – until the evening came.

Quinn asked Rachel to meet her in the bleachers that night because she was going to show her something. It was the perfect night, the perfect timing for Quinn.

While waiting for Rachel sitting on the bleachers overlooking the huge football field, Quinn began asking herself, "what if?"

What if Rachel was just being friendly? What if they were just caught in the moment? What if they aren't really in love?

Or what if they really are? What will they do? What if the school finds out? What will Rachel's dads say? Or what will Judy Fabray say?

She wanted to cancel it but she didn't. It was two weeks before graduation, a week before Nationals and three weeks before she leaves for UCLA and Rachel for Julliard.

Quinn simply didn't have time. She was in the middle of blaming herself for realizing just now when Rachel arrived.

Rachel stood in front of Quinn and all Quinn's fears were suddenly shot off. She looked into those beautiful diva eyes and she knew she didn't need anything else. Those eyes were for her and her eyes were for that diva.

Quinn dragged Rachel gently towards the middle of the football field. Without saying anything, Quinn lay on the grass and started staring at the night sky. Rachel got the message and did the same.

It wasn't really dark in where they were. A few lamp posts were lit but not all of them. The light was rather dim but it was enough for both of them because it highlighted the calm sky.

The sky looked like a huge plain black paper with small white dots everywhere. The stars aligned and the sounds of the night seemed music to their ears. The silence was comfortable.

They stayed in silence savoring the moment until Quinn finally got the courage to speak.

"What are you doing with me?"

For the next chapter: The talk. And the promise.