A/N: I've wanted to do an Ellen revisit for a while but I kept coming out with other things.

Right at the very start of this story I researched Yale and the academy that NYADA is said to be based upon. According to admissions pages, the internet and some of my American friends, it's my understanding that Yale's degree courses can be four years long while potentially Rachel could finish NYADA after two year or opt to do a third year. I've worked on that basis and so to clarify and avoid any misunderstandings or questions regarding the timeline of events, Rachel took three years and around the end of her third year her and Quinn get together (making the first year of their relationship Quinns final [fourth] year at Yale).

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee etc., just having some fun and I don't mean to cause any offence.

Ellen II

"Let's bring out my first guests. It was a pleasure last time and she has just recently finished her first film, Rachel Berry, and author and now acclaimed photographer, Quinn Fabray."

The two girls walk into view from backstage as the audience applaud, and after a brief pause to wave, make their way towards the couch that is opposite Ellen, both greeting the host with a light hug and kiss to the cheek before sitting down.

"Welcome ladies it's great to have you on the show."

"Thank you."

"It's great to be here."

"So Rachel, a lot has happened since you were last here."

"Yes it has. I finished my run on Wicked, guest starred in the amazing Red Academy and I've just finished my first film, Chance Meeting."

"What about this film, it's a rom-com, it sounds great, but you've done live theatre, and tv, and now film, how do the three compare?"

"They've all been very different experiences, but wonderful at the same time. Every new thing I do I just learn so much. It's what I strive for as a performer to have the opportunity to try and develop my abilities, and hopefully succeed in as much as possible."

"I know you're someone who is quite ambitious. Are you perhaps keeping fingers crossed for some nominations with this film?"

"Of course any nomination would be wonderful, but I don't think rom-coms have a particularly good track record with the academy and other institutions." Rachel jokes, before she continues.

"Seriously though just the fact I've had the opportunity and done it, actually starred in and made a film, is enough . . . for now."

The TV was on, some film they'd found on a movie channel playing, but neither girl was really paying attention to it, too tired to follow the storyline that was unfurling on the screen. Quinn had been working long hours on the concept and outline for her second book and Rachel finally had a day off, free from performances, auditions and rehearsals. The two of them simply enjoying some time in the others company sat side by side on the couch in their apartment, Rachel slouched upright while Quinn was sat with her legs tucked under her and her head on Rachels shoulder, a blanket draped across their torsos.

"How do you measure success?"

Quinn made a tired, quizzical noise in response.

"How will you know when you're successful?" Rachel asked again.

"I don't really . . . I suppose . . ." Quinn sighs as she wriggles slightly against Rachels side, hoping the small movement will awaken and focus her mind.

"There's lots of ways, I suppose . . . I could make lots of money, win certain awards, I could top the best-sellers list, I could sell a million copies of my book . . . but the fact I wrote a book and it's out there is a success to me, and to keep doing it for as long as I enjoy and want it, that's I guess the marker of success for me."

Rachels brow furrowed as she thought on Quinns words.

"Do you think my goals in life are too selfish, too extrinsic?"

"Do you think they're extrinsic?"

"Well I basically want to win the top four awards in the performing arts, that's kind of a bit extrinsic, wanting such accolades and external approval."

Quinn sighed as she raised her head from the brunettes shoulder, moving back slightly so she could clearly meet questioning brown eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with your goals Rachel, they're just like mine in a way, wanting to be the best you can be at what you love and to replicate that. I don't doubt you'll win the EGOT but if by some twist of fate you don't it won't be because you didn't do all you could or because you weren't successful enough."

"I don't want to be a Lansbury."

Quinn chuckled.

"But is she successful?"

"Yes! I mean she's like one of the greatest actresses not to win an EGOT, it's a travesty . . . and I see what you're doing. I want the awards, I want the recognition but deep down just doing it, living my dream is really enough."

Quinn nodded sagely as she watched another thoughtful expression develop on the other girls face.

"I know it wasn't your original career plan but do you love it?"

"What writing?"

Rachel nodded.

"I think I do. I find it challenging but a lot of things I love are challenging." She smirked in jest towards Rachel, who smiled and lightly swatted her knee.

"I just . . . putting it all together for someone else to read, to dream and experience in their own way . . . yeah I love it."

"But?"

"I don't know, sometimes I think it's more the creating I love, finding ways to express things and while I love trying to do it with text and words I love trying other ways, other methods of creation and representation . . . I showed San the sketches the other day when we had lunch."

"And?"

"She said I need to do something with them."

"I think she's right Quinn."

The blonde laughed loudly and Rachel joined in, the two brunettes rarely agreed on anything.

"Don't say a word to her or I'll never hear the end of it."

Quinn made a sealed lips gesture.

"So what's next for Rachel Berry? By my calculations it should be onwards to conquer the music industry next?" Ellen joked and the audience laughed.

"Funny you should say that but while we were filming I had the opportunity to write and work on a couple of songs for the film."

"Really?! Oh my God I was joking, how did that come about?"

"They just couldn't find the right songs for the soundtrack and myself and one of the crew, who plays piano and guitar sometimes, had the reputation on set of performing at some local open mic nights and jamming on set, so they asked if we could put something together."

"That sounds great, what kind of songs are they?"

"It's difficult to describe . . . I suppose they're ballads but there's a bit more to them . . ."

"They're amazing." Quinn interjected.

"It's just Rachel and James so it's a wonderful acoustic sound and there's a bit of a country feel to it, but it's just . . . incredible,"

"So are they going to be released or what?" Ellen directed towards Rachel.

"Honestly I don't know yet. We're still in post-production, but we've definitely got a few songs on the soundtrack which I hope people will enjoy. I suppose we'll have to see how the film does."

"Quinn, how do you keep up with her?"

"Rachel has always been passionate about music and I love seeing her perform, I can't imagine ever tiring of it."

"You're quite busy yourself, three books now published and you've recently branched out into photography, how has that come about?"

Quinn let herself fall into the familiar explanation of her writing and creative process. As Rachels and her own success continued to rise she was getting the hang, more and more, of interviews and the standard questions and responses to expect. It allowed her mind to wander to other things. This was their first proper interview together and they'd agreed to not be overly 'coupley', both agreeing that overt displays of PDA were tacky and unnecessary, choosing instead to sit with a bit of space between them while they chatted with their host. However, the brunette had snuck in subtle little touches throughout the interview so far, which Quinn was immensely glad for, more than anything she'd discovered that she craved and was calmed by Rachels touch, however small and innocent. It was something they both shared, and had fully realised once they'd become a couple, how much they sought out contact with each other.

Rachels hands had been resting in the lap of her crossed legs but Quinn now felt one of the brunettes fingers lightly poke her arm. It was only a brief touch but from it she knew that Rachel was letting her know she needed to pay attention again to what was happening.

"Quinn very kindly invited Portia and I to her exhibition opening last week, for our audience could you explain a bit more about it."

"It's simply me exploring New York and Los Angeles. I go out with my camera a lot-"

"Everywhere, she takes it with her everywhere." Rachel interrupted with a grin.

"I do love capturing images. It's part of the creative process of my writing I'll see something and it just sparks an idea, if I'm stuck I look for inspiration around me, and ultimately I just love New York. We're from a small town the novelty and excitement of living in such a cosmopolitan and large city hasn't really worn off yet and of course LA is just as big and exciting. Then after starting up the webpages I was asked about the idea of doing an exhibition of my photographs and when I looked back on them they were just so varied, but they were all primarily of New York so I went with that."

"So, just to clarify, the new exhibition is of Los Angeles and previously you did an exhibition of photographs of New York, how have you found living in LA?"

"We've been living in LA for the last nine months, nearly, and I've loved having that opportunity to come to a new place and just explore. It's been a great change of pace and scene for us and it's also been really inspirational."

"So is your next book going to be based in LA?"

"You'll have to wait and see." Quinn replied with a smirk that clearly indicated she wasn't going to give anything further away.

"I hear that some of the images from your New York exhibition are being featured in National Geographic?"

Ellen turns to look behind her as an image appears on the back screen and Quinn blushes lightly as the audience applaud.

"Yes the forthcoming issue has some of my photography from the exhibition in it. It's been an absolute honour."

"Quinn is a huge fan of National Geographic, she's subscribed to it for years." Rachel adds.

"I have to confess I have a subscription as well and I can't wait for the issue, they're beautiful images."

"Thank you." Quinn answers softly.

"Rachel, you must be very proud."

Rachel instantly beams with pride and nods her head, as she reaches out subtly and brushes a finger against Quinns arm.

The anticipation is killing her. Every fibre of her being wants to grab the blonde, drag her down the hallway, and point out the framed image, showing Quinn what she's done. But she knows she has to wait for the blonde to discover it herself, so she busies herself with heating up dinner and making coffee for them both. Quinn'll need a quiet moment to soak it in, or at least that's what she hopes, part of her is still worried that she will hate it and want to instantly tear it down.

They had come back to New York for the weekend to find the advance copy of National Geographic, featuring Quinns photographs, waiting in their mail slot. Rachel had waited patiently for the blonde to leave that morning for a play date with Beth, feigned jetlag as her excuse for not joining them. Once the coast was clear she found the advance issue and left the apartment for the framers. Julia had worked with Quinn on her exhibition in New York and was only too happy to do a rush job of mounting and framing the magazine, displaying it so it was open and perfectly pressed on the double page spread containing Quinns photographs.

Along the hallway, in their apartment, towards their bedroom and Quinns study there's a shelf for Rachels awards. She'd encouraged the blonde on numerous occasions to share in displaying her achievements and Quinn had always dismissed the idea, but Rachel knows this one is different.

It only occurs to her when she's back home with the framed magazine that she has no idea how to hang a picture. Even after goggling and watching a few DIY youtube videos she then realises she also has no idea where their tools are kept.

A text from Quinn saying she has Beth for the afternoon now as well and won't be home until dinnertime is a welcome relief as Rachel frantically calls her dads, and is thankful for her daddys patience as he talks her through the process of hanging a picture several times.

Quinn came home a little while ago, Rachel staying patient and quiet as she listens to her girlfriend talk about her day with Beth, loving how animatedly she speaks and re-enacts funny things the little girl has done. The blonde excuses herself to freshen up before dinner and Rachel distracts herself with reheating the food and making coffee. But with dinner warming in the oven and coffee brewing her impatience eventually wins out and gets the better of her, also Quinn's been at least ten minutes, that's plenty of time Rachel thinks as she makes her way to the hallway.

As she approaches she sees Quinn stood in front of the framed magazine, but even as she gets closer she can't quite make out the other girls expression. Once she's beside her she reaches out a tentative hand to lightly squeeze and rest on Quinns upper arm. Her actions seem to bring the other girl back to reality and suddenly she's being pulled into a tight sideways hug.

"Thank you. I-I . . . I love it."

Rachel smiles in relief.

"I'm glad, because I don't think I can get it down."

They laugh at the brunettes comment and Rachel rests her head against Quinns shoulder, a hand running to the small of the blondes back and slipping under the material there so her fingers can trails across the other girls skin, as they both stand and stare for a moment at the framed magazine.

"So seeing as I have the two of you here, and this is your first time being interviewed together isn't it?"

Both girls just respond with a nod.

"I can't not ask about your relationship, especially as last time Rachel was on we ran out of time a bit and you dodged telling us how you guys came to be together. Is that a story you would be happy to share with us today?

The two girls looked at each other, before Rachel turned to Ellen.

"It's not that interesting a story really, it all just kind of happened. I mean Quinn asked me out on a date and things just progressed from there."

"What was your first date like?"

"Interesting. We were both still in college so I went to visit her and we had an old fashioned dinner and movie date."

Rachel turned her head slightly so she could see Quinn better, wanting nothing more than to press herself into the other girls side and wrap an arm tightly around her at the memory of their first date. Instead having to be content with watching as a light blush appears across the blondes cheeks as she briefly described the event.

"She'd found this wonderful little Italian place and an old movie theatre near her campus that just showed classic films, and then we strolled back to the campus through one of the local parks, it was perfect."

A few 'awws' are heard from the audience.

"Quinn, you went to Yale didn't you?"

"Yes."

"How did you guys handle the distance?"

Rachel interjects with an answer.

"The distance was difficult, and it was also at a difficult time in our lives, I'd just graduated from NYADA and was auditioning lots and Quinn was in her final year of college . . . but we made it work."

"Quinn we need to talk-"

"Rachel we need to talk-"

The two girls gave a short laugh at the identical sentences they'd spoken together. They were currently video chatting, which wasn't usual but for the fact that they hadn't spoken properly for nearly a week, a fact that worried them both. They'd been together for over 6 months now, Rachel had graduated, and they'd spent an amazing summer together. Quinn had moved in with Kurt and Rachel once again during that time while she interned at a small theatre, but now she was back in New Haven for her fourth and final year. Going from seeing each other every day to long distance, the growing pressure of Quinns college work, and Rachels busy schedule of work and auditions was difficult and neither of them were adjusting well to it. Even when they'd both been home for Christmas they'd barely managed 24 hours together, Rachel being whisked off to her grandparents and Quinn having to return to New Haven straight after New Year to finish assignments.

The watering of the brunettes eyes and the slight tremble of her bottom lip wasn't lost on Quinn.

"Sweetheart please don't cry. I hate this, I hate that I can't be there to hold you right now and just be with you and wake up with you, cook for you, just argh! I hate this. I can't do this Rach."

Rachel looked like she'd been slapped across the face again and the tears now fell as she angrily wiped at them.

"No."

"What?"

"You're not leaving. I won't . . . how can you even . . ."

The growing rage in her was blocking the words from coming out, how could Quinn just give up, how could she just go back on everything they'd planned and promised, everything they'd worked for and shared.

"What?! I'm not- how can you think that? I never said . . . is that what you want?"

"No! Yo-you said you couldn't do this."

"I meant not being with you, not talking and seeing you. I want you here or me there, I don't think I can handle six months of this, it's two weeks since I last saw you and it's killing me Rachel."

Her heart softened at the blondes words. Quinn had made friends at Yale but Rachel knew a lot of those friendships were superficial and still guarded. Some could be considered close friends but she knew it was her and their gleek friends that if the blonde needed someone to talk to she would turn to. Which Rachel knew left the other girl alone and isolated at times, to think and dwell too much on things.

Rachel on the other hand had thrown herself into college life and living with Kurt was a constant support that she knew Quinn didn't have. If she felt sad or lonely Kurt was always there.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know." Quinn sighed.

"But I do know that breaking up is not an option, so get that through your head right now Berry."

Rachel smiled and nodded as they both fell into silent thought, the brunettes brain whirling and kicking into life to find a solution.

"Get your diary."

Quinn quirked an eyebrow.

"Go on, and your class schedule, anything you have a date and time for the next six months. It's simple really if we can't naturally find time then we just have to make it happen Quinn, know where and when the other is free. Some charts, a bit of order and discipline is all that's needed."

"Say that again." Quinn husked.

"No time for that. Planning first Fabray, and then we'll see about other things." Rachel replied with a mischievous smirk.

A few days later Quinn received a New York Metropolitan museum of art calendar in the post, filled with colour coded dates and times, when they would call, when they would visit. She hugged it to her chest, grinning like an idiot at the thought and gesture of her girlfriend. It had taken almost an hour to work everything out over skype and they knew it wouldn't work perfectly, times would change and need to be rearranged, more things would fill their time, but there was a plan now. Six months had suddenly been filled with weekly skype calls, biweekly visits and even a long weekend together over Spring Break. After leafing through the calendar one last time she opened it on the correct month and pinned it to the board directly above her dorm room desk.

"So films, books, song, photos, as if you guys weren't busy enough already I've managed to talk you into joining me for the next PETA campaign, which is a little strange because Rachel you've been a spokesperson for the last year or two and I can't believe our paths haven't crossed sooner."

"I know, and it's an absolute pleasure to have the chance to be involved. Animal rights has always been something that I've felt strongly about, in fact we both do, Quinn's been involved with the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York for a number of years."

"Well I look forward to working with you both. Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry everyone."

The audience applaud as Rachel and Quinn give them a little wave.

"So after the break we've got a big surprise for one lucky member of the audience! We'll be right back, don't miss it."

A/N2: Reviews and comments = feels.

Maybe this is TMI but I typed a lot of this one handed, not because of anything naughty (actually it's quite boring all I did was trap a finger in a door at work, I didn't break it but it did swell up beautifully so I had to strap it up and all kinds), so any major errors it was because I was a hand down.

Also for anyone who didn't follow the last chapter, I did mess around with structure quite a bit, here's a little break down; first part is a flashback of the first half of an argument between Rachel and Quinn, next part is the start of a blog article which interviews Kurt, a flashback of Mercedes putting Rachel and Kurt in their place, back to blog, flashback of Kurt giving Quinn 'the talk' now that they're dating, back to blog, and then flashback of the second half of Quinn and Rachels argument from the start of the chapter. I hope that clears things up :-)