Quinn felt like her world was crashing down around her. It was April 18th when she got the news. She had just got home from school and was about to make a snack then start on some homework when her mom met her at the front door. She had tears streaming down her face, her makeup smeared from what looked like hours of crying.

I'm so sorry, Quinnie. Your father…he…he died this morning.

Quinn didn't know what to say, she just stood there, frozen in place like a statue. Her mom's words were not registering in her head.

He had liver cancer. The doctors…they didn't know how long he had to live. That's why he wanted to come see you, Quinnie. I wanted to tell you but he told me, no. He wanted you to remember him as a changed man.

Quinn turned and ran up the stairs and locked herself in her room. She fished her cell phone out of her bag and called her dad's number over and over again, only for it to go to voicemail each time. She didn't want to believe it. She had just seen her dad a little over a month ago. He couldn't be…god, she couldn't even bear to say the word. She looked at the picture she had framed of her and her dad from that night. Rachel had snapped it on one of Quinn's cameras as they were leaving the restaurant. Had she been that blind? She had failed to notice how thin he had become and how pale he looked. She ran her finger over his face. As the reality of the situation came crashing down on her, she picked up the picture and curled up into a ball on her bed, holding the picture close to her chest and sobbing. She couldn't believe she would never see her dad again on this earth. She had been so excited to start a fresh, brand new relationship with the man he had become. But now, all that was non existent.

She flipped open her phone and dialed Rachel's number. God, she needed her now more than ever. Rachel answered on the first ring.

Hi, Quinn!

Rachel, I…

That's when Quinn really lost it. She couldn't stop herself from choking on her tears. She couldn't get out the words she needed to say.

Quinn? Quinn? Hello? Are you there?

All Quinn could manage to get out, just above an audible whisper was…

I need you.

Where are you?

Home.

I'm coming.

It wasn't 15 minutes later that she heard Rachel coming in the front door. God, she must've sped like crazy to get there that fast. She could hear Rachel talking to her mom and then an audible gasp from Rachel and then footsteps racing up the stairs. Rachel flung up open the door with a look of horror on her face.

Quinn…I…

Please, Rachel. Just don't say anything right now, okay? Please…just hold me.

Rachel curled up behind Quinn and put her arm around Quinn's stomach and kissed her neck over and over again.

Quinn didn't know how long she had been asleep or even when she had fallen asleep. Rachel had sung an array of songs to her until she finally stopped crying and fell asleep. She flipped over to face Rachel, who too, had fallen asleep. She scooted close to her little star and hugged her and buried her face in the crook of her neck and breathed in her scent. If she could stay like this forever, everything would be okay. She felt Rachel stir and notice Quinn snuggled up to her. Rachel stroked Quinn's hair gently.

My dad died, Rach.

I know, Quinn. I know. I am so sorry.

It was liver cancer. From years of him being an alcoholic I'm assuming. I mean, we just saw him a month ago, Rach, and now he's gone. It's just hard to wrap my head around.

Rachel didn't say anything as she continued to stroke Quinn's hair. She didn't need to. Just letting Quinn talk was enough for her. They laid like that for a while. Quinn hugged Rachel tighter like a little koala bear.

Rach?

Hmmm?

Please…don't leave me.

Rachel tilted Quinn's chin up so that they were looking at each other eye to eye.

I will never leave you, Quinn. You and I are going to get through this together, okay? I promise.

Quinn buried her head back in Rachel's neck as Rachel sang to her again. She didn't even know the song. She didn't care. Just feeling the vibrations of Rachel's vocal chords against her cheek soothed her aching heart.

Rachel stayed with Quinn the next few days. Principal Figgins let them have the rest of the week off from school. Rachel did her best to cheer Quinn up and Quinn loved her even more for that.

Mr. Shue and the Glee club had come by the house to give Quinn and her mom their condolences. Quinn didn't feel like seeing anyone but Rachel, it was just too soon to hear people talking about her father's death so she hid in her room while Rachel and her mom talked with them until they left a few hours later. Rachel came up to her room once they had gone and gave her the card each one of them had signed and written something special in. She was grateful for her friends and that they cared so much for her but it was still all too hard to deal with.

One night as she and Rachel were curled up on the couch watching Quinn's favorite movie, Bring It On, she paused the movie and turned to Rachel.

Rach, ummm…the funeral. It's…it's on Sunday. In Maine. And…my mom says that I should go. And I need…I really need you to come with me. I can't do this by myself.

Rachel nodded and pulled Quinn back into her.

Of course I'll come with you, honeybee. I'll never leave you.

Quinn felt a huge wave of relief wash over her. If she had Rachel, she knew she would make it through this.

It wasn't easy getting on that plane to Maine the next day. Quinn felt like she had been stabbed in the chest over and over again. Her heart ached and she had goose bumps all the time. But the fact that Rachel never let go of her hand made Quinn feel like she wasn't disappearing into herself.

There weren't many people at the funeral. Just a few scattered here and there along the rows of pews. Her sister, Charlie, hadn't come. Quinn was sure Charlie wouldn't even answer her dad's phone calls. No one had to tell her that. She knew how Charlie was. It was a lovely service, though. Whoever had planned it had put a lot of effort into it.

She looked over at her mom who had tears flowing freely down her face. Once she saw that, she couldn't stop herself from sobbing. Rachel handed her a handkerchief and held her hand and pulled her in close. She held onto Rachel's dress as tight as she could manage and wrinkled it in between her fingers. Rachel didn't seem to care and Quinn fell even more in love with her girlfriend. She breathed in a sharp gasp and her tears were finally able to stop flowing.

They stayed in Maine the day following to go to the reading of Russell Fabray's will. The only people there were Quinn and her mom and Rachel. Most of his family had already passed away and the ones who were still alive were estranged. Quinn almost fell out of her chair when her dad's lawyer revealed he had left Quinn all his money. She couldn't even fathom the amount that he had showed her. Fifty. Million. Dollars. Sweet baby jesus. She pushed the paper over to Rachel to show her. Rachel's eyes were as big as saucers. Quinn politely pushed the papers back to her dad's lawyer after she signed them. She now had fifty million dollars. Since she was 18, she was entitled to all the money at once. This was all too much; she had to get out of that room, it felt like the walls were slowly closing in on her. She needed to get some fresh air. She excused herself and Rachel as they went outside and Quinn collapsed in the parking lot, sobbing once again, but this time she couldn't stop herself.