Chapter 38

The next two weeks had been hell. Rachel and Quinn tried to pretend that things were normal. They didn't share a bed again after that night. Santana continuously gave Rachel the cold shoulder anytime the group hung out together. Brittany was her usual cheerful self always providing a funny story or a witty remark that seemed to come out of nowhere. Santana had convinced the dancer to get on board with her plan to put Quinn and Jenny together. Brittany had been hesitant but she and Jenny were already friends so it was hard to tell her girlfriend that the newest addition to their group shouldn't come over for movie nights or eat with them in the cafeteria.

Santana had been right. The morning after their first night out, Jenny had called Quinn and rambled on for almost ten minutes straight with nothing but apologies and her complete and utter embarrassment. Quinn had laughed and taken pity on the girl. They met for coffee two days later and Quinn had been pleasantly surprised to find that Jenny was actually very nice and not a slut when sober. She assured Santana time and again that she wasn't interested in Jenny in a romantic sense but she did enjoy the other girl's company…plus her incessant ramblings reminded the blonde of another brunette with a big mouth. It was a double edged swords of sorts, hanging with Jenny took her out of her room and the awkward silences shared with Rachel but at the same time kept her constantly thinking of the smaller girl and wondering what she was doing in their room filled with awkward silence.

Another addition to their group had been the return of Finn Hudson. He and Puck were boys again. They were constantly talking about sports and food and of course, girls. Puck seemed thrilled to have his best friend back, but Quinn couldn't get used to the giant boy's presence. She hated the way Rachel seemed to light up around both boys. She also hated the clear divide that had appeared.

Quinn, Santana, and Jenny always sat at one end of their table, engaged in their own conversations. While Finn, Puck and Rachel sat at the other end. Some days Quinn found herself watching the brunette. Watching the way the girl laughed at some stupid joke either boy said, but noticed how it never truly reached her eyes. She watched Rachel casually put her hand on either boy's arm or shoulder and felt her blood boil. It was supposed to be her shoulder that Rachel was touching. She watched how the brunette pretended to be interested in sports. She listened to their conversations and marveled at the way the tiny girl was so persistent in her argument to make the boys eat better food. She only participated in her own conversations when Santana or Jenny made it a point to include Quinn. Then she would laugh a little too hard and a little too forced to make sure Rachel knew she was fine without her.

Rachel, on the other hand, had been grateful for the distraction provided by Finn's return. Finn was loud and boisterous. He was always trying to make sure Rachel was laughing or included in their conversations, even going as far as to explain football to her again for the millionth time when he and Puck had ranted about the playoffs. However, Rachel couldn't keep her attention on either boy for long. Sure it was nice that they tried to include her in bro time, especially since Santana had all but pushed her out of girl time. The Latina was constantly sending her glares and insults under her breath. She felt like she had reverted back to high school again with the only difference being she sat with Finn and Puck because they were her friends, not because she was forced to as Finn's girlfriend.

Rachel watched Quinn every day. She watched the blonde caress Jenny's arm or hug Santana just a little too long. Rachel hated every second of it. Quinn should be touching her arm, hugging her, loving her. Quinn laughed and joked with the girls. She always seemed to be fine. She was having a great time. Plus it's not like Rachel hadn't noticed Jenny's not-so-subtle way of always flirting with Quinn. It was driving her up the way. Quinn had said she wasn't interested in Jenny so many times but it seemed like the brunette was determined to wear her down. Rachel hated her. She didn't care if Brittany assured Rachel that Jenny was a really nice girl who wasn't after Quinn. She knew what she saw and she saw a slut throwing herself at her Quinn.

Brittany was on the fence. Some days she talked with Finn, Puck, and Rachel. She would tell the boys stories about the girls on her dance team. Both of them wanted Brittany to hook them up with hot dancer chicks (Puck's words). Other days she talked with Santana, Jenny, and Quinn. They would talk about clothes, shopping, classes, TV shows, their weekend plans, and anything else. Talking with the girls was always easier but Rachel would look so sad sometimes that Brittany wished she didn't like the girls more than the days with the boys and Rachel. It was hard to compete though when girl days meant she got to be with Santana. Most days they weren't too affectionate. It was a girls day so it was about girls, not couples. Then a few days, even at lunch, she and Santana got to have their 'couples' days when S didn't care as much about punishing Rachel or helping Quinn. She just wanted to spend time with her girl. Brittany loved those days the best. She loved the days when she got to hold Santana's hand and play with her fingers at the lunch. She liked snuggling up to her girlfriend and kissing her cheek. Those were definitely her favorite days except they seemed to be Quinn and Rachel's worst. Both girls were miserable without the other and it always showed when Santana and Brittany got to act like a couple. Whoever seemed to take the couple day the worst won who Brittany spent the next day with. It was exhausting ping-ponging between all her friends.

"Baby, I know you're getting tired. You've gotta stop this. You're driving yourself crazy. Just let those two have their drama and you stay out of it," Santana sighed.

"I can't. They're both so sad and it makes me sad," Brittany groaned, flopping on her bed.

"Britt, you can't fix them okay. They're gonna be sad. That happens when you break somebody's heart and your own. It's just gonna take some time…don't worry. I'm fixing it," Santana grinned, crawling up the bed to collapse next to the dancer.

"You're not fixing it. You're just being mean to Rachel."

"Being mean to Berry is exactly how I fix things. Trust me."

Brittany groaned again into the pillow this time.

"Britt Britt?"

The dancer just grunted into the pillow again while Santana grinned.

"B?"

Brittany grunted again. Santana tried helplessly not to swoon at her adorable girlfriend.

"Baby?"

Brittany lifted her head and raised one eyebrow at the Latina.

"I'm trying to tell you something important, LadyBug."

"I'm listening Duckie."

"I hate that nickname," Santana groaned while Brittany beamed.

Brittany darted forward quickly and kissed the other girl.

"Do you trust me?" Santana asked after a moment when she finally pulled away from the blonde's lips.

"Mmhmm," Brittany nodded happily.

"Just give me a little more time. Berry's about to crack. I can feel it. I know I'm being a bitch to her, but she's so close to cracking."

"I trust you," Brittany replied, before they resumed kissing and the blonde made the Latina forget all about the other girls' problems for a few hours.

The next few days weren't getting any better for Rachel. Jenny had been hanging out with Quinn far more than the tiny brunette liked. The silences in their room became longer and more pronounced with each day. She and Quinn rarely spoke anymore. In the group, they pressed on trying to pretend things were normal but conversations were stilted. The second they were alone, they had nothing to say. Well, that wasn't exactly correct. They had plenty to say but neither wanted to be the one to start that conversation.

Quinn was in the bathroom getting ready for another night out. Jenny had asked the blonde to accompany her to a dance show that Brittany was in off campus. Rachel had rehearsal and wouldn't be able to attend when Quinn originally suggested she join the two. Santana scored tickets two days prior. The Latina planned on meeting up with the girls after but said she couldn't sit with them during the actual show. She had mumbled something about being too nervous for her girl and needing to be fully devoted to Brittany's performance instead of hearing Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum commentate. Rachel had scoffed thinking it was more like Santana was still trying to set Quinn up with Jenny. She had actually been happy she couldn't attend that night to watch the girls flirt with each other. It was bad enough seeing Quinn sit by Jenny at lunch. She didn't want to see them in a dark theater.

Then, by sheer luck or God's need to torture Rachel, the brunette's rehearsal had been cancelled. Santana had merely smirked when she informed Rachel that the show was sold out so it looked like the 'midget would be stuck with sasquatch and pencil dick for next Tuesday's show'. Rachel hadn't really wanted to go with Finn and Puck but also didn't want to go by herself back when they had all gotten their tickets. Finn had a tutoring session the same night that the rest of their friends were going, Rachel was supposed to be in rehearsal, and Puck had an evening class on Thursdays. It seemed logical at the time for the three of them to go together to support their friend. It also had seemed logical that the other three (Santana, Quinn, and Jenny) would go together. It all seemed so logical two days ago. But now, it seemed like torture while Rachel was sitting in her room watching Quinn get ready to go sit in a dark theatre, alone with Jenny, while Santana abandoned them to suck face or pet each other or any other horrible things Rachel's mind came up with.

"Are you sure you don't want to try to score a ticket at the door?" Quinn's voice came floating in from the bathroom.

Rachel debated mentally for the fifth time that night.

"No. It's okay. I'm sure you girls will have fun. I'll just go with the boys," Rachel sighed.

Quinn poked her head out around the door.

"You sure you don't want to meet us after? We're going for drinks?"

"It's fine. I have work to do anyway," Rachel muttered.

Quinn chewed the inside of her cheek, watching the brunette carefully.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to miss out on all the fun. We're still friends, Rach. Best friends, even," Quinn ventured gently.

Rachel's attention snapped to the blonde. Her eyes widened and she flushed.

"I know that. I mean…we're great, Quinn. Of course we're best friends…I know things have been slightly difficult lately but…that's not why I haven't been…I mean I'm still around even though I haven't been quite as much lately…my composition class is just taking over my life. It's much more challenging than the first semester and…I'm finding myself creatively stumped more often than usual…it's not because…we are best friends. We're fine," Rachel assured weakly.

"I know that we are," Quinn replied, not hiding the lie any better than Rachel had. "I just wanted you to know you're always welcome to join us. I think you and Jenny would really hit it off if you had more than four seconds to talk to each other."

"I'm sure Jenny's just great," Rachel gritted out through her teeth.

"She's a good friend. You'd like her if you gave her half a chance."

"Right."

"Just don't miss out on all of your friends because you're…swamped with school work. I'd hate to see you waste away the entire semester trying to write the world's greatest musical or something," Quinn smiled softly, walking back into their room to slip on her shoes.

"I'm not writing a musical. I'm trying to write something that's not so…" she trailed off.

She didn't need to tell Quinn about the personal assignment her professor gave her to write a song that wasn't 'quite so depressing'. Her professor had taken it upon himself to make Rachel his star pupil, but thought the girl was going through some serious life issues. He was making it his goal to make sure she found the good in life. Sometimes, adults think every teenage college freshman is suicidal. He had the good nature of Rachel's high school glee club advisor but was a little too involved in all of his students' lives. Professor Shuester or "Will" as he let his students call him seemed intent on helping Rachel find the romantic ballad within…that seemed far more creepy and teacher/student porn than how it really was. Mr. Shuester had no romantic or sexual interest in any of his students. Apparently he was happily married but one of those do-gooders who wanted to see all of his students succeed and find true happiness or some bullshit.

"Well either way, I'm sure Brittany would love to see you tonight. It would be nice to hang out…ya know, just all of the girls. Not that I don't love having Puck's company…or I mean, Finn's too I guess," Quinn offered.

"Just the girls…that sounds…"

What could she finish that with? Fun? Complicated? Awkward? Torture? Amazing? It could go in any of those directions. Fun would be Brittany. Complicated would be Quinn. Awkward would definitely be Jenny. Torture would be Santana because the Latina insisted on making Rachel's life miserable any time the complicatedness of Quinn and Rachel settled over the group. Amazing would go back to Quinn again but added on with a double dose of complicated.

"I know, we're not a ridiculous as hanging with the boys. I'm sure that's a great time and Puck's hilarious and Finn's…a giant. But we clean up really nice. We tend to smell better than boys. There will be no discussions of NFL playoffs or sports of any kind. There won't be any videogame strategy meetings. It will be fun. Just a bunch of girls, looking pretty, grabbing a couple of drinks, and dancing the night away at a tiny little bar," Quinn teased.

"It would be nice to have a conversation that didn't revolve around the Zombie apocalypse or Bengals offensive stats," Rachel smiling.

"I mean I can clearly see how riveting that would be. Not to mention topping the thrilling conversation and intellectual debates with the lovely stench of man sweat after they've come in from the gym."

"Totally. That's my favorite part of being one of the guys again: the lovely man stench," Rachel laughed.

It was the closest the girls had been to acting like themselves. It was the first Quinn had actually made Rachel laugh since their…breakup? Can it be called a break up when they hadn't been dating?

"Just think about it," Quinn grinned as she packed up her purse.

"I will," Rachel nodded.

Quinn smiled at her again. It was the first true Quinn Fabray Beaming smile that she had directed toward the brunette in weeks. Rachel wanted to laugh, cry, and scream all at the same time. She also wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around the blonde and never let go. Forget Brittany's show, she would keep Quinn all to herself.

"We're going to if you change your mind," Quinn turned at the door. "Originally S wanted to go to Lola's but apparently Ego is partially sponsoring the dance concert since it's not directly affiliated with the university dance team. Anyways, Ego is offering half priced drinks with your ticket stub and the dancers drink for free so…"

"Makes sense."

"I guess I'll see you if I see you," Quinn said slowly, not quite wanting to leave the room after their first non awkward conversation.

Rachel nodded. Quinn smiled and almost made it out the door before Rachel spoke up.

"Quinn!"

The blonde poked her head back in with a raised eyebrow.

"You beautiful tonight….best friends can say that right?" Rachel asked.

Quinn beamed at her again before replying, " Thanks, Rach…and sure. Why not?"

Then Quinn left leaving Rachel to sigh when the door clicked shut.

"To my girl B, the best dancer in all of Ohio," Santana cheered lifting her shot.

Quinn, Jenny, and Brittany touched their glasses to Santana's before they all tossed their heads back and drank.

"Again," Brittany squealed as the bartender laughed and refilled their shots.

"To my girl B, the best dancer in all of America," Santana toasted.

They all tossed back the shots again.

"Oh God," Jenny coughed.

"Tequila," Santana smirked.

"Again!" Brittany grinned with glassy drunken eyes.

"This has to be the last one," Quinn groaned.

The bartender poured the tequila across each of their glasses. They raised them again while Brittany nodded her head.

"To my girl B, the best dancer in the whole world," Santana grinned.

This time all four coughed and grimaced after the shots.

"No more," Quinn threw up her hands.

"Can't hold your liquor, Fabray," Santana snickered.

"Pssh, we're not all Santana Lopez," Jenny slurred.

"I love shots," Brittany sang and gave a little dance.

Santana flushed, her eyes glued on the dancer's ass.

"Let's go dance, Baby," Santana murmured pulling Brittany off the barstool.

The two made their way to the dance floor where immediately Brittany turned around to grind her ass into Santana's center. Quinn and Jenny obviously couldn't hear the groan from the Latina from where they were seated but knew without a doubt it happened. Santana pulled the blonde around and fused their lips together heatedly.

"I have a feeling they're going to ditch us soon for some sexytimes as Brittany calls it," Jenny laughed.

"Or they'll get kicked out for having sex in the bathroom again," Quinn rolled her eyes.

"They're too much."

"Can't keep their hands off each other," Quinn agreed.

"Must be nice. To be that in love," Jenny commented sullenly.

"You mean to be that in lust. They're drunk and horny. Having sex in a bathroom in a bar isn't love. It's hormones and liquor," Quinn laughed.

"You know that's not what I meant. Anybody can have drunken sex in the bathroom. We could have drunken sex in a bathroom."

"But we won't. Some of us still have morals even if I don't hold my liquor as well as Santana," Quinn smirked.

"Speak for yourself, Fabray. I might find myself a nice piece of ass in here tonight," Jenny giggled.

"And ditch me? You'd leave me all alone to watch S and B rub against each other all night like cats in heat?"

"Well I never said you had to watch them but if you're into that, that's your call," Jenny teased.

"No! No way, just no. Where is the sweet and nice little girl who has lunch with me? You are something else whenever you get a few shots in you," Quinn guffawed.

"I haven't been laid in months," Jenny defended.

"And Q hasn't gotten laid since New Years," Santana sauntered back over to them with Brittany practically wrapped around her.

"New Years? Quinn Fabray! How scandalous!" Jenny laughed.

"I did not get laid on New Years!"

"Yeah right. You can deny it all you want, but everybody in that kitchen the next morning knew you and Berry humped like bunnies all night," Santana leered, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I didn't- we didn't! We didn't go that far," Quinn protested.

"Wait you and Rachel? You hooked up with your roommate? Isn't that like…awkward? You're not still…are you?" Jenny questioned.

"No, we're definitely not," Quinn sighed in frustration.

"But you sooo want to," Jenny grinned. "How did I miss that? Good lord, it's like so obvious now!"

"I don't- we don't…I'm not having this conversation."

"It's okay, Quinn," Brittany cooed, peeling herself away from Santana and wrapping her arms around Quinn in a tight hug.

"I can't believe you've been holding out on me. Here I am, lonely and desperate and you've got your smoking hot roomie to go back to and mack all over," Jenny pouted.

"They're not macking anymore cuz Berry's a dumbass," Santana grunted.

"S, be nice," Brittany warned. "Quinn's never been with a girl. She's allowed to be picky. And J, you're allowed to be slutty. And you should be."

"I should be! I should totally be a slut!" Jenny stated proudly.

"Well I see the answer to all your problems ladies. Q gets to experience lady loving first hand and Jenn gets to get her fingers wet," Santana suggested happily.

"Okay, that is the most disgusting thing you've said to me all night," Quinn glared.

"Jenn's hot. Don't be a bitch, Q," Santana growled.

"I didn't say she wasn't hot," Quinn argued then turned to Jenny. "I totally think you're hot."

"Hey guys," a voice cut in from behind Santana.

"Rachel," Quinn squeaked.

"Well holy shit. The hobbit left her cave," Santana rolled her eyes.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Rachel smiled weakly, her voice wavered slightly.

Quinn blanched, "Oh, no. It wasn't- you just…it's good you're here."

"Rachel," Jenny smiled and threw her arms around the girl. "It's about time we get to have a girls night!"

"Sure," Rachel looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Brittany squealed tacking Rachel and Jenny in a hug.

"Right. Fun," Rachel replied uneasily, locking eyes with Quinn.

"Shots!" Santana ordered.

Quinn and Rachel exchanged glances.

"I'm good," Quinn replied.

Jenny bounced up and down with Brittany while they shook Rachel and tried to make her jump with them.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need a couple of those," Rachel said to Santana.

"Three shots of a tequila for us and give this one two doubles," Santana grinned.

(AN: I know this is getting all kinds of messed up between all of our girls, but just hang in there! I was going through a dark time and my writing suffered along with me. Also there's time jumps all over these last few chapters.)