Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily
A/N: Once again I apologise for the wait between updates. Real life can really be a bitch sometimes. This chapter is a little shorter than others, only because I deleted the flashback I had planned to include. I think it suits the next chapter better than this one. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)
Words (minus responses to reviews) – 5306
Chapter 35:
"Never love anybody who treats you like you're ordinary" – Oscar Wilde
There have always been three things she has always been able to rely on, her family, her friends and sleep. Her family have always been there for her, always supported her. When Quinn told her parents she was gay, she half expected them to kick her out of their house but instead, her father wrapped her up in a hug as her mother burst into tears. At first she presumed her mother was disappointed in her, ashamed of her even, her perfect daughter was a lesbian and would never have the stereotypical marriage but then she managed to choke out several words through her tears, 'I am so proud of you."
The words are etched into her memory because it's one of the few times her mother has ever said she's proud of her. Most people probably take it for granted that their parents are proud of them but it still feels heart-warming to hear them say it.
When Quinn and Alison broke up, both her family and friends were there for her. Her mother tutted and said Quinn could do much better, even though she had always said how much she liked Alison, before buying her a pint-sized tub of ice cream and watching old sitcoms with her. Her father sat her down and told her that heartbreak is just a part of life and eventually, it will make her stronger. Santana ranted about how she never liked the girl anyway and Quinn was better without her and Sophie, well Sophie started talking to her again and that meant everything.
When she graduated from NYU, Santana and Sophie took her out to celebrate and treated her to a meal before surprising her with a lap dance from a very attractive dancer.
When she's been ill or just wanted to forget about the day, she has always relied on sleep and it has never let her down.
Until now.
Sleep has always come easy to Quinn. Ever since she was a little girl, the minute her head hits the pillow, she's fast asleep. She's never needed to count sheep and she's been fortunate enough to have never suffered from nightmares. More often than not, she has a peaceful, dreamless sleep. The reliability of sleep has always been something which has provided her with a form of comfort. Every night, you end the day in the same way, in the security of sleep. Every night you fall asleep and the problems you're facing, the troubles you have, they all melt away.
At least for the night.
There have always been three things she can rely on but now, there's only one.
Her family.
Her friendships are fractured and her sleep is constantly disrupted by nightmares she never thought she'd have.
Now, whenever she goes to bed, she sees Sophie's face. Even if she does manage to fall asleep, Sophie plagues her dreams.
The problems she's facing when she's awake now extend into her dreams and the only way to avoid her nightmares is to keep her eyes open.
So that's what she does, that's what she's been doing for the past week. She stays awake until she physically can't anymore. It's playing havoc with her appearance, constant bags have formed under her eyes and she's enduring an on-going struggle to do any work.
Somehow her situation in her dreams appears scarier than it is when she's awake because in her dreams, she has no control whatsoever over what happens.
Rachel releases a murmur before rolling over in her sleep, her hand coming to rest on Quinn's chest, placed neatly over her heart. Quinn's given her heart away once before and Alison crushed it. Now Rachel holds her already fragile heart in the palm of her hand and she's beyond terrified that Rachel has the power to do the one thing she's been dreading happening again, break her heart.
Rachel mumbles something before snuggling even closer to Quinn. A small smile crosses Quinn face as Rachel continues to mumble, she didn't realise the girl sometimes talked in her sleep, even if the words never make sense. Quinn doesn't think it's possible to not smile every time she sees the younger girl sleeping soundly beside her. Rachel always looks so blissfully ignorant when she's asleep.
Their problems keep Quinn awake but clearly they just vanish for Rachel the minutes her eyes close.
Quinn's jealous she doesn't have that luxury anymore.
"It's creepy when you watch me sleep."
Quinn smiles lazily before pecking Rachel's lips. "Sorry, I can't help myself. You look beautiful when you're asleep."
The corners of Rachel's mouth curl upwards but she doesn't open her eyes. When she doesn't speak again, Quinn wonders whether she's fallen back asleep. "You're still watching me Quinn," she mutters against her pillow. "Stop it." Her tone is serious but her face still holds the shadow of a smile.
"Sorry, I just can't sleep."
"You should try counting sheep," Rachel whispers. "That normally works for me."
"Yeah, I'll give that a go."
She glances at her clock to see it's nearly half past 3 in the morning and sighs heavily. She tosses the covers aside and climbs out of bed, padding along the floor quietly until she reaches the door.
"Where are you going?"
When Quinn turns around, Rachel is now sitting upright in bed, staring at her with a worried expression.
"I'm just going to get a glass of water; I'll be back in a minute. Go back to sleep Rachel."
Satisfied with the answer, Rachel lies back down and it's not long until the woman's breathing levels out. Quinn leaves the bedroom and walks towards the living room, throwing herself onto the couch before burying her head in her hands.
After a couple of days of receiving no sleep, her body started to adjust to the sudden change. She started to feel more awake at night time than she did during the day but now, lack of sleep is catching up to her.
Her eyelids constantly feel heavy but no matter how hard she tries, sleep continues to elude her.
She reaches around aimlessly until her fingers connect with the leather bound notebook her father bought her when she announced her job at the New York Times. He wanted her to use it for when inspiration hit and he used to joke that her first novel would be written in this notebook. Rather than a fictional story, she's been using it for her late night bursts of emotion.
Writing has always been something she can lose herself in and when all else fail, it's something that provides her with the safe haven she so desperately craves.
"No Barbra," Rachel utters loudly before waking from her worrying dream. Barbra Streisand had been about to hand her a Tony award before she decided against it, stating Rachel wasn't talented enough and she didn't deserve it. The mere thought sends shivers through her spine, she couldn't imagine how she'd feel if that every happened.
Deep down she knows it would never happen because should she win a Tony award, she will have deserved it.
She glances to her right to find herself alone in the bed. This is in no way unusual, in fact its par for the course at the minute. She vaguely remembers Quinn stating she was going to get a glass of water but she can't remember how long ago that was. She rubs her eyes before glimpsing at the clock. It's a little after five and normally Rachel doesn't wake up until 6.30am, her routine is rather specific. Even if she has a difficult night's sleep, her body still refuses to wake until her alarm starts ringing. Recently she's been waking up earlier, almost as if she can sense Quinn's absence. She can hear the rain battering against the window and sighs. New York really has been suffering lately from terrible weather.
She flips on the bedside lamp before placing her feet on the cold wooden floor. She turns the light on in Quinn's en-suite bathroom before turning it off when she sees it's vacant. Frowning, she leaves the bedroom and smiles sadly when she sees Quinn lying on the couch, fast asleep, a notebook open against her chest and a pen still somehow in her grasp.
Rachel tiptoes towards her and removes the pen from her hand, placing it on the coffee table. She picks up the notepad and is about to set it down beside the pen when she sees Sophie's name at the top of the page.
She knows she shouldn't read it, it's private. It's something Quinn has evidently written for Sophie but her eyes betray her and Rachel finds herself scanning the words.
It's a letter of apology, filled with sincere pleads and nostalgic memories. She reads it slowly and her heart breaks a little bit more at every word. She traces the final sentence with her finger repeatedly. It's poignant and seems to be a fitting ending to Quinn's letter.
Sometimes things are beyond your control.
She can understand that sentiment because everything with Quinn has definitely been something out of Rachel's control.
Closing the notebook, she drops it against the table gently before kneeling against Quinn and lightly tapping her shoulder. "Quinn, you have to wake up."
It takes a couple more taps and tender whispers for her to wake up but eventually, Quinn's eyes flutter open and she smiles sleepily at Rachel. It's certainly a sight she can grow used to, waking up to Rachel.
"What time is it?" Quinn asks, her voice husky with sleep. Rachel swallows at the sound; she loves it when Quinn's voice is husky, it makes her even sexier. Quinn rubs her eyes tiredly before sitting up a little.
"A little after five," Rachel tells her. "I woke up and you weren't in bed."
"Sorry, I didn't think I'd fall asleep."
"Don't apologise Quinn, when's the last time you actually had a proper night's sleep?"
Quinn shakes her head. "I'm not sure, a few days maybe." She rubs her eyes once more before briefly looking at the closed notebook on the table. "Did you read that?"
Rachel swallows nervously; suddenly frightened Quinn is going to be upset she invaded her privacy. "Not on purpose, I just…I couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry Quinn."
"Don't worry about it."
"Were you going to send this to Sophie?"
"I was considering it but really, what's the point? It's a load of rubbish; you may as well chuck it in the trash. It's the only thing Sophie will do when she sees it. It's not like she'll read it. The minute she recognises my writing, she'll throw it away."
"Not necessarily. You can't be sure she'll dismiss it without opening it. Sometimes people are more willing to read a letter than talk face to face with a person, it's easier that way. You don't feel pressured to act a certain way."
"Not Sophie. She's never been an avid fan of letters. She prefers talking things through rather than writing them down," Quinn explains. "I'm the opposite; I find it simpler to say how I feel in writing rather than verbally."
"You make your living as a writer Quinn so it makes perfect sense that you'd choose the normality of the written word as your preferred method of communication. I personally find myself to be more articulate when speaking rather than writing. Everybody is different."
"I guess you're right."
Rachel curls a strand of Quinn's hair behind her ear. "How about we go back to bed?"
"You go, I think I'm going to stay her and do some work or read."
Rachel swallows hard before squeezing Quinn's hand. "No, you're not. You need some sleep. Lack of sleep is incredibly detrimental to a plethora of things, your work being one of them. You can't expect to be productive on a couple of hours sleep."
"I can't sleep, every time I close my eyes I…I just prefer being awake right now."
In the past couple of days, she's learned that Quinn can be incredibly stubborn when she wants to and right now, Rachel knows full well that if Quinn doesn't want to go to sleep, she isn't going to, no matter how much Rachel attempts to persuade her. "In that case, I'm going to stay awake with you."
Quinn tilts her head to the side. "You don't need to do that, you need your sleep. I'm sure you told me once you need to sleep for eight hours a night otherwise you're useless."
"You're right, I did tell you that and typically I do prefer to have eight hours of sleep a night but Quinn, right now, you're more important than slumber."
There's something so incredibly domesticated about the situation she's in right now. She's sat on Quinn's couch with her feet curled underneath her, a cup of steaming hot coffee resting on the coffee table, on a coaster of course, and the newspaper opened in her lap. Quinn meanwhile is sitting beside her, reading Wuthering Heights, the book Rachel gave her for Christmas and occasionally pausing to have a sip of her own coffee.
It's ironic how one of the things which began to irritate Rachel about her relationship with Sophie is the normality and domesticity of their relationship, when it's now one of the things she loves about Quinn. She and Sophie started to act like a married couple long before they should have. Rather than feel comfortable and safe, it felt boring but with Quinn, everything feels right. There's something so incredibly satisfying about knowing you can just sit with another person and not even have to speak but feel completely content.
This routine is one they've fallen into since the wedding. Since then, they've spent practically every day in the company of one another. It's been a week since everything was revealed and at first, it felt like Rachel's world had fallen away from underneath her but in reality, it had only just started to come together.
She picks up her coffee before sipping it, revelling in the warmth it provides. Normally Rachel isn't one for caffeine, she'll have the occasional cup of coffee but it isn't her first choice for a refreshing beverage. This morning is different. Since Quinn has been awake since five am, she's been making cups of coffee every time her mug is empty and she always makes Rachel one. Quinn loves coffee and even though Rachel isn't too keen, her fathers brought her up with manners so rather than cause a fuss, she accepts every mug of coffee and drinks it politely. They haven't really spoken much this morning, other than the odd pleasantry. Instead, Quinn's spent the morning writing while Rachel has flipped through the television channels in the hope she'll find something other than mindless drivel.
Rachel glances to the left to find Quinn still deep in writing. She ripped the letter to Sophie out of her notebook before crumpling it and throwing it over her shoulder. Rachel's been resisting the urge to pick it off the floor from the second it landed there. Quinn's attempted to make contact with Sophie several times over the past week but every time, she has been met with a stony wall of silence. Any phone call is immediately dismissed, except the odd one which lingers and fills Quinn with false hope that maybe Sophie is going to answer. Any time Quinn has tried to visit her friend; Sophie refuses to even grant her access to the building, let alone her apartment.
Another routine they've fallen into is Quinn pretending like Sophie's rejection isn't cutting her up inside. Every night Quinn acts stoic and tells Rachel she's fine, she doesn't expect any less than what she's getting but Rachel knows different. Rachel knows Quinn is devastated and merely putting on a brave face to maintain appearances.
She's told Quinn to give Sophie more time before undertaking another fruitless mission to talk to her but Quinn seems incapable of waiting. Apparently, impatience is one of her hidden traits that Rachel is only now discovering.
Unfortunately, if anything, Quinn's only making the situation worse by constantly invading Sophie's space but she doesn't seem to want to listen to Rachel.
Unlike Quinn, Rachel has only tried to visit Sophie once since the wedding and it certainly came as a surprise, to both Rachel and Quinn, when Sophie invited her inside. Their conversation didn't last longer than five minutes because Sophie still refused to accept any of her apologies but Rachel felt comforted that Sophie had at least given her an opportunity to talk.
She only wishes Sophie would extend that chance in Quinn's direction.
"Is there anything interesting happening in the world?" Quinn questions as she peers over the top of her book.
"Nothing good," Rachel tells her. "The news never seems to contain anything uplifting and if it does, it's always overshadowed by the numerous amounts of articles about upsetting or awful events."
"There's a lot of bad in the world Rachel."
"I'm not disputing that but there's also a lot of good but that's often overlooked." Rachel flips through the newspaper until she reaches the obituaries. "This is the first time I've had a chance to see your work."
"Don't be too excited, it's nothing special."
"Don't be so modest," Rachel chastises lightly. "Normally the person who is the harshest critic of your work is yourself."
"Are you speaking from experience?" Quinn asks. "Are you harsh on yourself after you've performed on the stage?"
"I have been in the past but now I can never find anything to criticise, I'm just too good. I mean, let's be honest, my talent is clear for anybody to see," Rachel replies playfully, causing a smile to creep onto Quinn's face.
"Of course, my mistake."
Rachel runs her fingers through her hair. "I used to always think I could have done something better, I would relive it over and over again in my mind in an attempt to find ways I could improve."
Quinn tilts her head to the side. "Maybe I'm wrong but I have a feeling we're not just talking about what we do for a living anymore."
Rachel stands from the couch before slowly running towards the crumpled ball of paper and picking it up. She opens it out, removing the creases and walks back to the couch, handing the letter to Quinn before sitting back down.
"You shouldn't give up on this you know," Rachel says quietly. "You'll never know what will happen unless you try."
Quinn accepts the letter before bobbing her head. "I do already know Rachel."
"Just don't give up, for me?"
"For you." Quinn smiles before nodding once more. "How about I make us some breakfast?" Quinn suggests, kissing Rachel on the cheek. "I actually did a grocery shop the other day and bought plenty of vegan items for you. I kind of snooped around your kitchen to see what you had in your cupboards so I knew what to buy."
"You didn't have to do that."
"I could hardly let you eat bacon now could I?"
"You're amazing Quinn."
Quinn blushes, an action which is uncommon for her. "I try my best."
Rachel's about to lean forward and kiss her but her action is interrupted by the sound of somebody shuffling around outside the apartment. The sound is followed by a key in the lock. The only person Rachel knows who has a key to Quinn's apartment is Sophie and surely she wouldn't be coming to talk to Quinn, let alone letting herself into the apartment. If she did, awkward would not be a good enough word to describe the situation when Sophie sees Rachel there.
Content and comfortable like she's been doing this for years.
"Good morning sunshine," Karen comments as she enters the apartment and Rachel puffs out a breath which is a mixture of annoyance and disappointment. Karen senses the lack of enthusiasm and closes the door. "Maybe I should repeat the greeting because you are clearly not a ray of sunshine right now."
Rachel scowls at the woman. "Since when do you have a key to Quinn's apartment?"
Karen waves the key and half smiles. "Oh this, I may have had a key copied when Quinn wasn't looking, I'm sure she doesn't mind."
The comment is made so unabashedly Rachel has to gather herself for a couple of seconds. She stares at Quinn, waiting for the woman to hurl an accusatory rant in her friend's direction but nothing happens. "I'm sorry, you did what?"
"Stop messing with her Karen," Quinn reprimands gently before placing her hand on Rachel's thigh. "Just ignore her. She came round the other day when you were getting some stuff from your apartment. She went out to pick up a takeaway and I gave her the key so she could let herself back in. I guess I forgot to take the key back."
Karen throws the key towards Quinn who catches it one handed, earning a somewhat impressed look from Rachel. "You're such a spoil sport Quinn; I could have had at least a couple more minutes of fun. Quite possibly even longer."
Rachel runs her tongue over her teeth before pouting petulantly. She really doesn't appreciate Karen's sense of humour. Granted her feelings of distain aren't as strong as they used to be, and if she's being entirely honest, she only really disliked Karen because she thought the woman had feelings for Quinn and that stirred up jealous feeling Rachel had wanted to suppress. That being said, she's still in no way her number one fan.
Even if Karen did give her the push she needed in Las Vegas.
"You must understand how flattered I am that you feel you can use me as the butt of your jokes Karen," Rachel announces sarcastically, standing from the couch and brushing past Quinn when she tries to stop her. "I'm here whenever you need another punch line."
Karen grins widely. "How generous of you."
Quinn puffs out a breath as Rachel disappears into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. "Was that really necessary Karen?"
"Oh come on, you have to admit it was a little funny."
"She didn't find it amusing Karen," Quinn comments as she follows Karen towards the kitchen.
"That's not my fault," Karen replies. "Here I am bringing you both breakfast and this is the response I get. Honestly, you try and do a nice thing."
"You brought us breakfast?" Quinn replies, her stomach growling on cue. "You do know Rachel's vegan though right, she can't eat bacon like you and I."
"I know that. I bought her those vegan blueberry pancakes you said she liked." Karen starts removing the food from her bag. "I was only having a bit of fun with her Quinn, I didn't realise she was so touchy."
"She's not touchy; she just doesn't appreciate your sense of humour as much as I do."
"That's a crying shame; I have been known to be pretty hilarious when I want to be."
Quinn tries to stop herself from cracking a smile. "Just lay off her a little bit."
Karen holds up her hands in surrender. "Alright, I'll apologise to her but I don't think it will do much good. She doesn't like me."
"She'll grow to love you," Quinn states. "I'm going to make sure she's alright, be a doll and dish up the breakfast," she tells her friend with a cheeky wink.
Quinn grabs Rachel's cup of coffee from the table before walking towards her bedroom. She knocks lightly on the door and enters once she hears Rachel offer her an invitation inside.
"This is your bedroom, you don't need to knock."
"That's true but whenever you're here, this is as much your bedroom as it is mine. Mi casa es su casa," she tells her with a grin, handing Rachel her cup of coffee. "Would you rather I left you alone?"
"No, why would you think that?"
"I wasn't entirely sure whether you wanted some space."
"I'm fine."
"You shouldn't let Karen upset you," Quinn pleads lightly. "She has a similar sense of humour as me and she doesn't realise she might offend some people. She's harmless when you get to know her."
"I'm not upset and I'm sure that's true Quinn, I just don't like her very much," Rachel announces.
"I know you don't." Quinn brushes some of Rachel's hair behind her ear. "But she's been my port in this whole storm; she's been somebody I can talk to. About everything." She cups the woman's cheek. "About you and about us."
"I realise that and that's part of the reason I don't like her," Rachel replies quietly. "She knows about us, intimate things. More importantly, she was there for you when I wasn't."
"Let's get one thing straight, she doesn't know intimate things," Quinn clarifies. "I don't talk to her about sex with you, if that's what you think."
"I should hope not Quinn, what we do in the privacy of our own homes is nobody's business but ours."
Strictly speaking not much has been happening in the privacy of their homes recently. The issue of sexual intercourse hasn't actually been brought up since her relationship with Sophie ended. She hasn't had the confidence to start the conversation, expecting Quinn would have. After all, she doesn't imagine Quinn has ever gone this long without being intimate with another person.
"I'm aware of that. Despite what you may think, I don't exactly go about bragging about my conquests."
"Santana said you always revelled in telling them about the women you slept with, you were never shy about that."
Quinn tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "That was before I met you. I'm not the same person I was several months ago."
"I have noticed that the person you are now is not the same person who hit on me back in October." Quinn half-smiles. "Do you think we should talk about the issue of sexual intercourse?"
Quinn bursts into laughter at the word before resting her forehead against Rachel's. "Don't worry about that. It's not exactly the most pressing issue we have to face. We can talk about that some other time."
"Okay."
Quinn tilts her head to the side. "What's wrong? There's something you're not saying."
"Have you talked to Karen about Sophie?" Rachel questions suddenly. "About how you're feeling with everything."
Quinn doesn't answer, she merely shakes her head.
"You're not talking to Karen and you're not talking to me," Rachel clarifies. "Do you remember when we first met; I bet you only had a few people you were truly yourself around. Was that Sophie and Santana?"
"Yes."
"You can talk to me you know," Rachel admits. "I want you to talk to me. I want you to be yourself around me."
"I know I can talk to you Rachel but I'm not great with feelings, I told you that." Quinn runs her fingers through her hair.
"I understand that but you cannot keep everything bottled up, it's a recipe for disaster."
Quinn runs her fingers through her hair. "It's not like you've talked to me about how you're feeling."
Rachel ducks her head before nodding slowly. "Then maybe we should set aside a time to have this conversation. Up until now, the topic of Sophie has become almost taboo but it's obvious we both need to talk about her."
"I know we do." Quinn rubs the back of her neck, not liking the way this conversation is heading. "Karen's brought you some breakfast."
"I'm not particularly hungry."
"She's got vegan blueberry pancakes."
Rachel's eyes widen ever so slightly. "In that case, I may be able to manage a small portion of breakfast." She stands from the bed and starts walking towards the door but Quinn's fingers around her wrist still her.
"I love you," Quinn says suddenly and firmly. "I know we need to talk and there are a lot of things that need to be said but right now, that's the only thing you need to know."
Rachel hands the final plate to Quinn to dry before turning the faucet off. Karen apologised to her over breakfast and because she's polite, Rachel accepted the apology. In Karen's defence, the pancakes were delicious.
"You do realise I have this invention known as a dishwasher for jobs like this."
Rachel grins. "Everybody relies too much on technology nowadays; I prefer to keep some aspects of my life simple. Besides, it's not as if washing dishes takes up much time."
Quinn places the plate into her cupboard before grabbing Rachel's jacket. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
"I thought we could go for a walk," Quinn states. "Unless you'd rather stay in."
"No, a walk sounds lovely Quinn. Karen isn't going to be accompanying us is she?"
"Why? Do you want her to do?"
Rachel tilts her head to the side. "I think you know very well I don't wish her appearance upon us at any point."
"Relax Rachel; she's gone to meet Brittany. They have a dance performance they need to rehearse for." Quinn pecks Rachel's lips quickly. "I'm just going to grab my coat and we can go." She disappears into the bedroom just as somebody knocks on her front door. "Can you get that for me please Rach."
Rachel shrugs her jacket on before heading towards the front door. She opens it slowly and comes face to face with an unfamiliar woman. "May I help you?"
The woman frowns before clearing her throat awkwardly. "Oh, I'm sorry; I think I may have the wrong apartment. I'm looking for Quinn Fabray. I was told she lived here but I've never been one for directions so there's a high probability I've become lost somewhere along the way."
"No, you have the right apartment," Rachel tells her. "I'm a –" She pauses quickly because she doesn't really know how to characterise her relationship with Quinn. They haven't given it a label yet. "I'm a friend."
"That's great to know but is she in or have I missed her?"
Rachel furrows her brow. This woman isn't giving off the best first impression. "You haven't missed her." She closes the door slightly before calling Quinn. "Quinn, you have a visitor."
"Who it is?" Quinn shouts from the bedroom.
"I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name."
"I didn't give it to you."
Rachel's brow furrows even more. This woman is being just a little bit too rude for Rachel's liking. Quinn emerges from the bedroom, fastening her coat and keeping her eyes on the floor.
At the sight of Quinn, the woman steps past Rachel and enters the apartment.
Looking aghast, Rachel attempts to block the woman's passage. "I'm not entirely sure if you're aware of this but common etiquette dictates you wait for an invitation before entering a person's home and unless I'm mistaken, neither of us actually invited you inside."
"I'm not a vampire sweetheart, I don't require an invitation."
The voice causes Quinn to whip her head up. It's a voice she's incredibly familiar with. After all, it's pretty difficult to forget the voice of your first love, the voice of the person who broke your heart, no matter how hard you try.
"Hello Quinn."
Quinn swallows hard. "What are you doing here?"
Rachel casts her eyes between the two women. "Who is she Quinn?"
Quinn blinks quickly at Rachel's question but doesn't remove her eyes from the woman in front of her. "Alison."
That one word is enough to cause worry to shoot through Rachel's body.
They're already dealing with enough issues without adding Quinn's first love to the mix.
A/N 2:
Guest – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) The answer to that question has been revealed in this chapter.
Guest 2 - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Well that's certainly a lovely thing to hear, I'm pleased you couldn't stop reading this story. Thank you very much :) I'm glad you feel bad for Sophie, that is what I've always wanted. For people to feel for all three women. She will find a way to heal, don't worry about that.
Guest 3 - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Sophie's not cutting ties just yet, in fact she's just making things worse at the minute but she'll get better.
Guest 4 - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I hate cheaters/cheating too but it does make for an interesting storyline.
Guest 5 - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I apologise for making you cry. Also, I'm not sure whether this guest is the same person since all reviews were posted on the same day so I answered them all separately just in case it's not the same person.
Mars - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) You're welcome, I'm going to continue to write this story until it's finished. It was supposed to be done by now but real life does have a nasty habit of getting in the way haha. Well this chapter is practically all Quinn and Rachel so I hope you enjoyed it :)
Lealover - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I thought I'd bring in Frannie because she's not been in this story yet so I'm glad you enjoyed her little pep talk. I know, I thought I'd go against the norm and have a cliffhanger rather than a boring ending :P Sounds great, I'm jealous of your adventures, what I wouldn't give to go to those places plus New York. Yeah, don't we all live in hope :P
Fyffe - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Firstly, I'm glad this story is one of your favourites. Secondly, I apologise that you think this story has become far too Meta, as you put it and as a consequence, boring to read in parts. I just want to make one thing clear; I'm not attempting to underestimate anybody's intelligence. This is just my way of writing, it may be different to how others write and it may not appeal to everybody but that's just me. As for Leroy, I felt like it was something this story needed, I didn't want to brush his and Quinn's conversation under the carpet. I apologise if you don't like the fact I repeat things but that's just my way of writing. You say I should have Quinn think about her feelings rather than speak them but that would still be repeating what I've already written so I don't see how that would make a difference. That's not me trying to be rude so please don't take it that way. This is how I choose to write Sophie, Rachel and Quinn because I personally think they need to talk about what's happened. Again, if that's not the way you'd write it, I apologise. J.K. Rowling always repeated what happened in previous books in her next book so it was fresh in people's memory. I suppose in a way, that's all I'm doing. I'm glad you're going to continue reading though and I will try and edit my writing a little but I can't promise anything.
Guest 6 - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I can't really tell if that's a negative comment or not but I think Sophie needs some space at the minute.
Polux - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) No, I understand what you mean. I do think that if one of them was going to cheat, it would be Rachel. For all the reasons you mentioned. I think deep down, Quinn knows that as well but she wouldn't have mentioned it to Leroy because she's trying to get into his good books haha. I liked writing Frannie so I might bring her back at some point and I always love Brittany. Till next time :)
Jo - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) I like to think I've spent too much time building this story and the characters up to solve everything in one chapter so I want to deal with things at a slow speed. I'm glad you think I'm dealing with Sophie perfectly :)