The table was silent.

Well technically it wasn't, Rachel was nervously talking and Blaine was trying to be polite in his answers. But overall Santana couldn't hear anything cause here she was sitting at a table with Quinn fucking Fabray after the girl disappeared for however long.

Santana wasn't even sure why she was still sitting, and she wasn't sure how she wasn't freaking out or yelling. Just sitting in silence, staring at Quinn and waiting for the blonde to say something. To say anything about where the hell she's been.

But Quinn's eyes were on the ground or her plate or over Santana's shoulders and her mouth was shut into a straight line. Not a word from the girl. Not even the famous Fabray smile was making an appearance. Nor even a lie or something. It was weird, it was all so weird. Quinn would usually put on a fake smile and pretend everything was okay, but by the way her hands grappled with her clothed napkin even the blonde was freaking out. But not in an "I've been caught" kind of way, she was just genuinely freaking out.

That made Santana feel even more uncomfortable.

"So, Kurt and I have been trying to get the landlord to come around and fix it," Rachel finished her story. Though it was unrelated to anything, it was providing a nice backdrop to the table's silence.

Kurt cleared his throat before addressing Blaine, "We know Quinn from high school."

"Oh!" Blaine smiled for a second before recognition came into his eyes and the sides of his mouth dropped, "Oh. What a small world."

"Very small." Kurt agreed, his mood seemingly deteriorated once he saw Quinn.

"We were all apart of the Glee club at school," Rachel commented.

"Oh wow," Blaine nodded his head at the information, "I remember Quinn telling me about her singing at school. I didn't know it was a Glee club though. She's a little stiff with that info-"

"Where did you two meet? Do you both live in New York?" Rachel questioned.

"I live in Jersey." Blaine answered. He looked over to Quinn for more, but received nothing, "We met a while ago."

"Like when? Where?"

Santana knew what Rachel was doing and was glad for it. For some reason she couldn't even get the first round of questions out of her mouth, luckily Rachel didn't seem to have a problem with going for it.

"A while ago," Blaine struggled, "At... at camp."

He didn't seem too happy with that answer and looked down at the table, him now looking just as uncomfortable as Quinn did before.

Quinn looked over to him and finally spoke, "I'll be right back."

Then she took her napkin from her lap and got up from the table. She was gone faster than anyone had time to say anything.

"Do you think she's going to be back?" Rachel asked Santana and if she was being honest she wasn't too sure.

"I'll be back as well," Santana said as she got up and followed to where the blonde had left to.

She looked through the crowd and almost lost Quinn, but the girl was just stepping outside and stopped dead a couple of feet from the door. She followed and walked outside, cursing at herself for not bringing her coat.

Santana had been dreaming of this moment for a while. Finding Quinn. Saving her or whatever the fuck. And yet here she was, just safe as ever in a nice restaurant in the middle of New York.

"Quinn!" Santana called and she was certain she hadn't said that name in months without feeling an ache in her chest.

Quinn turned around and for the first time tonight, she looked Santana. Her eyes were widened at first, but then they softened as tears began to flow from them. Then Quinn gave a smile.

And just like that, Santana felt emotions that she hadn't felt in a long time and as she wrapped her arms around herself, it felt like her feet were floating towards Quinn.

But she wasn't floating. She wasn't even moving, Quinn was the one coming towards her.

Quinn stepped less than an arm's length away from her, her eyes searching over Santana's body before finding her eyes again, "This isn't a dream is it?"

Santana gasped, wanting to say that she was thinking the same thing before she squeaked out, "Where have you been?"

Quinn hesitated before sighing, "Georgia."

"I fucking knew it." Santana had a list of places that Quinn and her family had mentioned and Georgia was right up there, "Why didn't you call?"

"They took my phone."

"They still have your phone?"

Quinn cringed, "No."

Quinn leaned on the side of the building and wiped at her eye.

"So?" Santana placed her hands on her hips and tried to be a commanding presence, even though it was taking everything not to curl up into Quinn's arms.

"I haven't been in a good place." Quinn mumbled before standing up straight, "I don't have an excuse."

Santana tried to find a new question in her mind, "Well, fuck."

Quinn opened her mouth to say more but closed it tight and for a few moments they stood in silence looking at each other.

Quinn nodded, "I feel bad for Blaine... I've managed to make this night about me."

Quinn moved closer to Santana, "I will explain everything to you. But I think we should go inside for Kurt and Blaine. Okay?"

"Okay." Santana said without hesitation. She wished that she could find her backbone and let Quinn have it but she couldn't.

Quinn gave another nod before motioning Santana to follow her inside.

XXX

They actually managed to finish dinner, surprisingly. Most of the conversation steered directly towards Kurt and Blaine, though Rachel did try to sneak a few questions to Quinn every now and then.

Blaine seemed like a nice guy, and Santana was surprised to hear that he had met Quinn in Lima their senior year. Kurt had grumbled at that part, whining about lost time that they could have had together.

Santana couldn't help but watch Quinn most of the evening. The blonde was quiet for most of it, laughing here and there and offering a comment only when necessary, but she seemed more reserved.

It was a sight to see, being that the last time Santana saw her, Quinn was still technically in her punk phase.

Santana went through a bunch of different questions in her head, knowing that she'd probably forget a few of them once they got talking, but she had to at least try to get some information on why this happened to them. Why did they have to be separated right when they finally got back together?

Quinn caught her staring a couple of times, but she wasn't shy about it. She missed looking at Quinn and she'd be dammed to let shyness stop her from doing so.

Quinn always looked back, a slight redness to her cheeks as she did, before her eyes went back towards the conversation flow.

By the end of the night, Kurt and Blaine were hugging each other and saying goodbyes in front of a taxi before Kurt suggested a nightcap at their apartment.

Blaine immediate agreed to it while Rachel grumbled a hesitant, "sure."

"Actually," Quinn voiced as she stuffed her hands into her pockets, "I think Santana and I are going to take a walk for a little while. Maybe we'll meet you there afterward."

Santana shivered, not so much from the cold but from the way Quinn said her name. No one else said it like that crazily enough.

"Oh," Blaine smiled, "No, that's cool. Take your time."

He motioned Kurt to get into the car before getting in himself.

Rachel gave Santana a look before stepping into the taxi as well, closing the door as it swerved away into traffic.

Santana looked over to Quinn, "We're taking a walk? In the cold?"

Quinn smiled, "Or we can get coffee. I think you deserve some answers, don't you?"

Santana nodded, "There's a coffee shop down the block that's pretty cool."

They walked there in silence and Santana could physically feel the wheels turning in Quinn's head. Whatever the blonde was thinking, she hoped that it was just the best version of the truth. Sometimes Quinn left out a few things and it caused issues and Santana wasn't sure she would ask enough questions to get everything out in the open.

They stepped into the coffee shop, the temperature change making Santana unbutton her red coat.

They sat near a window and Quinn offered to get the coffees, "Has your order changed much?"

Santana shook her head and Quinn went off to the counter to order.

Moments later they sat face to face with their coffee in silence and Santana went over the questions in her head that she formulated during dinner. She didn't know where to start exactly, but she was sure that she'd have to get the ball rolling.

"So, I was in Georgia from our last night together up until this last May. Then I lived with my aunt on my mom's side in Jersey until September." Quinn started.

Santana paused, a bit surprised, "You literally were just sent off to Georgia that exact day?"

"Yeah," Quinn sighed, "Russell had planned it for a while. Sent me to a conversion camp near his childhood home."

"Christ."

"Funny thing is," Quinn let out a humorless laugh, "My grandpa apparently sent him there as a kid. So, I guess dad and I had a lot more in common than I thought."

Santana looked down at her coffee and cradled it in her hands, "Tell me everything. Start from the beginning, Q."

Quinn nodded, "Okay. I, uh, I was walking from your house to get my purse. There were still a ton of cars in the driveway and stuff, so I just thought everything was okay, like people were just staying over for after the wedding reception. I didn't notice the church van parked out front."