BECAUSE YOU CARE - REVAMPED

To those of you who read the first version of this story, welcome back. To the newer babes, welcome.

Five years ago, I started writing this story and never got past the sixth chapter. I lost motivation for it and just never gave it a second shot. However, over the past five years, people continue to favorite it, follow it, and occasionally comment or PM me, asking me to finish.

So, here we are. My city is 3 months into quarantine, and I've apparently hit the point where I'm crazy enough to pick this story up again.

The pre-existing chapters (1-6) have been revamped. Story line is basically the same, but with better grammar and a few changes here and there.

Thanks for trying out Round Two with me. Here we go again!

When Rachel Berry opened her front door at 1:43am, the last person on earth she expected to see standing there was Quinn Fabray, head cheerleader and her personal tormenter.

"Quinn?" she said, blinking against the harsh light of the hallway. "What's going on?" A million insecurities ran through her head and she felt a small twinge of panic – what if Quinn had come to, like, kill her? But as soon as the thought entered her mind, Rachel banished it. It was utterly melodramatic, even for her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, briefly wondering if she was on hidden camera.

"I'm sorry," Quinn choked out, unknowingly interrupting Rachel's internal panic attack. She could feel Rachel trying to catch her gaze but she kept her head down as she continued, "I didn't…I didn't know where else to go and I didn't want anyone else to see me like this."

"See you like what?" Rachel asked warily.

Quinn braced herself, "Like this."

Rachel gasped as Quinn slowly lifted her head, allowing Rachel a glimpse at the bruises on her neck, the dried blood on her lips and forehead, and the growing welt underneath her left eye. Quinn wanted nothing more than to shy away from Rachel's terrified gaze. She felt terrifically exposed but forced herself to keep her head up and allow Rachel to see the damage that had been done to her.

As much as she hated to admit it to herself, Quinn needed Rachel and she needed Rachel to see that.

"Quinn, you– you're bleeding– I don't understand. What happened?" Rachel grasped for words but her horrified questions stopped as soon as she caught sight of the tears beginning to pool in Quinn's bloodshot eyes. She weighed the options in her mind before making the executive decision that no matter what Quinn had done to her in the past, the girl standing in front of her clearly needed help. That was more important than anything else.

Quinn could see the hesitation in Rachel's eyes and almost cried in sheer relief when the smaller girl took a deep breath and ushered her inside.

"This way," Rachel said, leading Quinn into the bathroom attached to her bedroom. "Sit on the counter while I gather some necessities."

"Okay," Quinn started to nod but felt her head spin. She closed her eyes, praying for the nausea to pass.

"Okay, let's get you—oh. Um. Quinn?"

Quinn turned to Rachel, embarrassed. "I'm kind of…drunk," she mumbled.

Rachel took a step back and assessed the girl in front of her. Not only was the blonde swaying slightly but, now that they stood in the confines of her small bathroom, Rachel could smell the alcohol as if it were seeping out of Quinn's pores. She grabbed the taller girl's arm and helped her up onto the counter.

"Thanks."

Quinn sat in silence as Rachel bustled around the bathroom. The blonde took the opportunity to close her eyes again, sending up a silent prayer of gratitude that finally, finally, someone was taking care of her.

Something about the sight of Quinn sitting there with her eyes closed made Rachel's throat constrict. She momentarily let her gaze sweep over the blonde's injuries, wincing internally at the state of them, but forced herself not to cry.

"Quinn?"

"Rach?" Quinn kept her eyes closed.

Rachel bit her lip to keep from smiling at the nickname, "Well, that's certainly nicer than some of the more colorful names you've called me before."

Quinn cracked open an eye and gave Rachel a withering look. "Don't make too much of it," she warned.

"Noted," Rachel laughed. "Let's get you cleaned up, shall we?"

"Okay," Quinn sat as still as she could, waiting for Rachel's touch, but it never came. Finally, she opened her eyes and found Rachel with a cleansing wipe in her hand, looking conflicted. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I– I know you don't appreciate having to tolerate other people touching you and I fully realize that you probably need help cleaning your face but… well, I guess felt the need to ask first. Do you—can I help?" Rachel asked nervously.

Quinn titled her head to the side, "How do you know I don't like being touched?"

Her tone was purely curious so Rachel decided to answer honestly, "Well, I have been going to school with you since sixth grade," she said with a wry smile. "I'm a very observant person. I see the way you react when someone touches you, especially from behind when you can't see them and you aren't expecting it. Normally you tense up, sometimes you flinch, and you always, always pull away unless it's Brittany or Santana. So naturally, even though I know what the answer is going to be because I know you want help, I still feel the need to ask permission to touch you."

It was such a Rachel answer that Quinn felt a smile of her own tugging at the corner of her lips, "Permission granted."

Rachel positioned herself in front of where Quinn sat on the counter and very, very carefully began to wipe the blood from Quinn's lips. A small sigh escaped them and Rachel recoiled slightly when the tell-tale scent of vodka hit her senses.

"Sorry," Quinn looked down, her cheeks burning with shame.

"Don't be," Rachel said softly, reaching out without thinking and placing her small hand on top of Quinn's. The blonde immediately pulled her hand away and Rachel might have felt hurt had it not been for the regret that instantly flooded Quinn's hazel eyes.

"I'm sorry. It's not you; it's instinct. I just…I'm sorry."

Rachel shook her head, cutting her off. "Stop apologizing, Quinn," she said. "We just had a conversation about how you don't appreciate being touched without warning and I did so anyways. I'm sorry– it's an instinctive thing for me, too. To reach out when someone I care about is in pain."

Quinn heard the unspoken words in Rachel's statement, felt it deep in her bones that Rachel was implying Quinn was always the one to cause people's pain, rather than fix it. She looked up sharply, ready to fight, but Rachel must have read where her mind went because the shorter girl shook her head softly.

Quinn felt the familiar burn of tears in her eyes but refused to let them fall. She swallowed hard, wincing as the bruises on her throat sent ripples of pain down her neck.

When Rachel was finally satisfied that every trace of blood was gone, she put down the wipe and uncapped the bottle of antiseptic. She let several drops seep onto a cotton ball before turning back to Quinn.

"This is probably going to sting," she said apologetically.

"I'm a big girl, I can take it."

Still, the blonde hissed as the wet cotton ball came into contact with the cut on her forehead, and Rachel cringed with her. Knowing the skin around the cut was now extra-sensitive, she was painstakingly gentle as she placed a band aid on Quinn's forehead.

"All done," she murmured, throwing away the dirty wipe and used cotton ball. "Stay here for a minute, okay?"

Quinn nodded, gritting her teeth as the antiseptic began to seep into her skin and do its work.

Rachel returned to the bathroom several minutes later, holding a bundle of clothes in her arms. "I brought you something to change into. Not that there's anything wrong with the clothes that you're wearing but I couldn't help but notice that they're somewhat carrying the scent of alcohol and I didn't think you'd want to wake up to that smell in the morning so…"

"Wait. You're letting me stay?" Quinn asked incredulously, unwilling to believe it. "Seriously?"

"What? Of course! You didn't think I would…" Rachel shook her head. "Quinn, we may have an… interesting history but that means nothing right now. You are not only my teammate but my friend. You're staying here tonight."

"Your friend? You think I'm your friend?"

Rachel looked up and stared into Quinn's eyes. "Well, you're here," she said evenly. "Don't you think so?"

Quinn lifted her head, studying Rachel. Though the shorter girl was clearly making an effort to come off as nonchalant and tough, Quinn could see how anxious she truly was. And really, who could blame her?

Quinn took a deep breath, "Thank you. That means more to me than you know. And you're right; someone knocked a shot of vodka onto me so a change of clothes is definitely appreciated. Let's see what you brought."

Rachel cleared her throat, "I don't know what kind of sleeper you are so I brought a couple different outfits. Personally, I enjoy the feeling of the cool sheets against my skin so it's shorts and a sleep shirt for me. I've noticed that your body is always rather warm, especially with the added alcohol, which also raises body temperature. So, I have a sleep shirt for you. Your body won't be quite as hot in the morning though, so I have sweatpants you can wear instead of shorts." She took in Quinn's amused expression and put her hands on her hips, "Well, am I wrong?"

Rachel very nearly always talked in paragraphs and while that was normally both exhausting and irritating to listen to, right now Quinn couldn't help but feel quietly charmed. She sucked in her cheeks to keep from smiling.

"Nope, you're right. Hand them over."

Rachel gave her the t-shirt and the sweatpants and studied Quinn's face as she did. It was no longer stained with blood, the band aid covered the cut on her forehead, and her bottom lip was only slightly swollen. But the bruise beneath Quinn's eye was an angry shade of purple and looking at it made Rachel feel sick to her stomach with worry.

Quinn sensed more than saw Rachel looking at her wounds and caught the brunette's gaze. "Later," she said quietly. "I'll answer whatever questions you have, and I know you have a lot, but just let me change first."

For the first time that night, Rachel looked, really looked, into Quinn's eyes and was stunned by how captivating they were. They sucked her in like two hazel whirlpools and all she could do was nod before walking out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her, leaving her mysterious blonde bully to change.

Five minutes later, Quinn emerged from the bathroom in the clothes Rachel had given her, holding her own in her hand. "Is there somewhere I should put these?" she asked shyly. "You were right; they reek of alcohol and I wouldn't want that to rub off anywhere."

Rachel stood and took the clothes from Quinn. "I'll run downstairs and throw them in the dryer with a Bounce sheet. They'll still need to be washed tomorrow but the Bounce sheet should eliminate most of the smell. Enough so that you'll be able to wear these clothes again tomorrow, anyway."

"Okay, thank you."

There was a brief pause.

"So…I guess I'll go do that now," Rachel said slowly.

"Okay," Quinn nodded. "Do you have any more of the wipes you were using earlier. I'm not really digging the raccoon look." She gestured to the black smudges under her eyes.

"Oh, I don't know," Rachel teased. "I think you pull it off." She laughed as Quinn rolled her eyes, "The wipes should still be on the counter. There's a spare toothbrush in the right-hand cabinet that you're welcome to use. Toothpaste and mouth wash are already out and there's an array of different lotions and hair products under the sink, none of which were tested on animals… what? What is it?" Rachel trailed off as she once again caught sight of the amusement in Quinn's eyes.

"You ramble a lot."

Rachel lowered her head, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to. I know you hate it."

"I don't hate it."

Rachel gave Quinn a look.

"Okay, I don't hate it all the time," the blonde amended.

"You don't?" Rachel asked in surprise.

"Nope."

"Oh… well, what about right now?"

Quinn smiled, "I don't hate it right now."

Another pause.

"Alright! I'm going downstairs for real this time. Can I get you anything from the kitchen?"

"A glass of water, maybe?"

"Done. I'll be back soon."

"Thank you, Rachel," Quinn said softly.

For reasons she couldn't or perhaps didn't want to understand, something in Rachel fluttered at the sound of her given name coming from Quinn. She shoved the feeling away and gave the blonde her best show smile, "You're welcome, Quinn."

After Rachel left, Quinn helped herself to the supplies in the brunette's bathroom. Brushing her teeth was easy. It was removing her make-up that soon proved to be a more difficult and painful task than she expected.

Picking up one of the wipes, she carefully began to wipe the black smudges that surrounded her right eye. However, as soon as she tried to do the same to her left eye, she winced. The bruise she was sporting just beneath it was extremely sensitive and throbbed the second her fingers touched it. Quinn tried her best to wipe away the make-up but it only added more pain to the bruise. Pulling away from the mirror, she growled in frustration.

"Need any help?"

Quinn whirled around to find Rachel standing in the doorway, watching her struggle with sympathetic look on her face. "I don't need your help, Berry," she sneered, but as soon as she saw the hurt flicker across Rachel's face as the shorter girl took a step back, Quinn regretted lashing out. "I didn't mean that. It's instinct. I'm just mad and frustrated and I thought you..." Quinn took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Rachel pointed to the counter. "Sit, Fabray," she ordered. Quinn sat and once they had resumed their earlier position, Rachel took the wipe from Quinn's hand and very, very gently began to wipe away the black smears. It hurt every time Rachel's fingers grazed her bruise but Quinn was grateful for the help and bit her lip to keep from wincing.

Rachel could see that the blonde was in pain and did her best to avoid touching the swollen bruise. Still, she reflexively winced when the blonde sucked in a sharp breath.

"Almost done," she murmured. "I'm sorry it hurts."

"Don't be," Quinn said through gritted teeth. "It's not your fault."

Rachel continued to wipe away the smudged make-up, "Why are you wearing so much make-up, anyway? You're so pretty, Quinn, you really don't need it."

Quinn didn't know how to respond to that comment and was relieved when Rachel kept talking, "I found your phone in your jacket pocket and took it out before I put your clothes in the dryer," she told her. Then, looking guilty, she added, "I didn't mean to hit the home button but I accidentally did and I feel obligated to inform you that you have several missed calls from your mother and what looks to be at least 15 texts from Santana."

Quinn cringed. "Do you mind if I call them?" she asked.

"Not at all. You're make-up free. Do you want me to... should I leave?"

"No. Stay."

The two girls walked into Rachel's room and Quinn picked up her phone, guilt flooding over her as she read Santana's panicked messages.

"Oh, Quinn!" Rachel's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I have the water you asked for."

Quinn looked over and saw two glasses of water on Rachel's desk. Rachel was taken back when the blonde immediately whipped around to face her.

"Are you sad?"

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked, confused.

"There are two glasses of water. I only asked for one which means one must be for you, and you always drink a glass of water when you're sad."

"I…" Rachel was stunned into silence. She didn't realize that Quinn had ever paid much attention to anything she said.

Quinn's eyes were soft as she teased, "Well, I'm been going to school with you since sixth grade too, you know. All that rambling, some of it was bound to get through. I know you've won sixteen dance and singing competitions. I know you love argyle and animal sweaters. I know you're vegan. And I know you drink water when you're sad. Should I keep going?"

"Wow," Rachel laughed shakily. "I never realized how much you cared."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I care, Rachel. Now, answer my question. Are you sad?"

I care, Rachel. Rachel decided to ponder that admission later and shook her head, "No. Well, not exactly. But you're sad, Quinn, and I always find that when you're upset, I am, too."

"Really? You're sad just because I am?"

Rachel gave her a tiny shrug and smiled. Quinn took a moment to store the conversation to her memory before smiling back at Rachel.

"I'll call Mom first," she said. "San will be a lot worse and I'm not quite ready for the massive guilt-trip she's going to pull."

Rachel winced sympathetically as Quinn dialed her mother's number and waited for her to pick up.

"Mom? Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier and I'm sorry I left… no, Mom, please don't feel bad. Don't cry. I left because I needed space and…no, it wasn't because of you. Of course, it wasn't because of you. I promise. There's nothing you could have done. I'm okay and... hmm? No, I'm not at San's. I'm at Rachel's house… Rachel Berry… yes, the singer girl," Quinn winked at Rachel. "I'll be home tomorrow but you know how San is so I'll probably have to go see her first before I come home… no, it's okay, you should get some sleep… don't worry, I'm about to call her… okay. I love you, too, Mommy. Bye."

Quinn hung up and sighed, then looked at Rachel with a weary expression. "This next call is probably – no, it's definitely going to be loud. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Quinn," Rachel said. "My dads are away for the weekend so you don't have to worry about waking them up. As for me, I'm not a stranger to Santana; I know that she's prone to being loud when she's upset."

Quinn snorted, "Trust me, you don't know the half of it. Listen to this." She pressed the call button and held her phone to her ear only long enough for it to ring. As soon as Santana answered, Quinn pulled the phone away and held it at a distance.

"Hello? Where in the fuck have you been, bitch? Are you aware what time it is? You left Puck's hours ago. Hours! You better have a good ass reason for not texting me back, because I have been losing my god damn mind. Not to mention Brittany is completely freaked the fuck out, so you better fix that shit ASAP."

As Santana yelled through the phone, Rachel's jaw dropped open at the sheer volume of Santana's voice and Quinn mouthed, 'Told you so.' After Santana's ranting died down to a reasonable volume, Quinn felt safe enough to put the phone back to her ear.

"Hi, angry. Are you done now?"

"Depends. Are you ready to explain yourself, you inconsiderate asshole?"

Despite the conversation that was about to happen, Quinn smiled. Passive-aggressive Santana was a pain in the ass to deal with but it always meant that the other girl was more worried than she was mad.

"Yes. I'm sorry, S. I know I told you I would text as soon as I got home but I walked in and my dad was there and… things got bad."

At this, Rachel's eyes widened. She knew that Quinn's mother had recently kicked out and divorced Quinn's father. She had also heard that Russel Fabray had zero tolerance when it came to people challenging him and things not going his way. Suddenly, looking at the bruise on Quinn's face, her blood ran cold.

Quinn watched Rachel work it out and when the shorter girl's horrified gaze fell on her, Quinn's eyes shot to the floor.

After a long, long pause, Santana's voice came through the phone again.

"Q? Are you… did he hurt you?"

Tears filled Quinn's eyes as she heard the true fear in her best friend's voice. Rachel saw this and ran to the bathroom to get a box of tissues. She passed one to Quinn and the blonde took it gratefully, wiping her eyes.

"I'm okay, San. I'll explain everything tomorrow. Please trust me. You know I would tell you in a heartbeat if something was seriously wrong. But it's over and done with and I promise I'm as fine as I'm capable of being right now."

"What do I need to brace B for? Straight-up."

Quinn winced. Santana wouldn't take it well but knowing she had no choice but to be honest with her, she said, "Some bruises on my neck, a cut on my forehead, and the early stages of what will definitely be a purple eye in the morning."

There was a long pause before Santana spoke again and when she did, Quinn could tell that the other girl had just forced herself to choke back tears.

"Where are you?"

"Rachel's house."

Another pause.

"Rachel Berry?"

"Do we know any others? Look," Quinn said softly. "I know I could've gone to your house but you have B with you and I couldn't let her see me the way I was when I showed up here. It would have killed her and honestly, S, it would have killed you, too."

"Quinn…" Santana full-naming her was never a good sign.

"Rachel's got me, San. I'm good for tonight."

Rachel swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat while listening to Quinn's end of the conversation.

"Tell the midget that me and B are coming over in the morning."

Quinn held the phone away, covered the ear piece, and turned to Rachel, "Santana wants to come over tomorrow." Rachel looked alarmed but Quinn smiled reassuringly, "It's not to do anything to you. I know it sounds unbelievable because it's Santana and she's so scary and tough but… you don't know how much this kind of thing scares her. She probably just wants to thank you for taking care of me. She'll do it in a super Santana way and bitch the whole time but it'll be genuine. Is that okay?"

Rachel had been terrified from the second she had seen Quinn's injuries. She had never really considered that perhaps it was even worse for Santana, knowing that her best friend was hurt and not being able to do anything about it. With that thought in mind, she said, "Of course, Quinn. I assume Brittany will be with her?" Quinn nodded. "Please tell her that they're both welcome here."

"Thank you," Quinn murmured before picking up her phone again. "San? Tomorrow's a go. Is B okay?"

"She's fine now that she knows you're okay but she wants to hear your voice so I'm giving the phone to her."

"Alright."

"Hi, Q. Are you really okay?"

"I'm all good, Britts."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" Quinn lowered her voice, "Keep an eye on San. You know how she gets. Try your best to get her to sleep, even if it's only for a couple hours."

"Got it and on it. We're both super scared but I'm glad you're okay. I love you, Q."

"I love you, too, B. Give San the phone again, will you, so I can say bye to her."

"Will do. See you tomorrow, Q. Say hi to Rachel for me! Here's San."

There was a brief pause while Santana got back on the phone.

"Thanks for talking to her, cap."

"Anything for our girl. You good, San?"

"Not really but I'll live. Are you good?"

"Not really but Rachel's here. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, you will. Love you and all that mushy shit."

"Back atcha, bitch."

Quinn hung up with a smile that quickly faded when she turned and found Rachel hastily wiping tears from her eyes.

"Rachel? Are you okay?"

"Yes!" Rachel swiped away the last couple tears from her face, not wanting to Quinn to see how much the words Not really but Rachel's here had meant to her. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me. Are you okay, Quinn?"

Quinn sighed, "No, but also yes. Do you have a guest room I can use? I know I said I'd answer your questions tonight but I don't know if I can. I'm so exhausted. Would you be okay with talking tomorrow?"

Rachel took in the look on Quinn's face. The taller girl looked not only physically drained but emotionally drained as well.

"Quinn, don't be silly. You're staying with me in my room and we don't have to talk at all." Rachel saw uncertainty flash through Quinn's eyes and again remembered how Quinn was about her personal space. She scrambled to say, "Of course, you don't have to stay in here with me. I just figured that maybe you'd want company… but of course, we have a guest bedroom you're welcome to sleep in."

"No! No. I mean," Quinn took a deep breath. "You're right. I don't think I can be alone tonight. If it's alright with you, I'd like to sleep in here."

After a quick discussion on who would take which side of the bed, the two girls got under the covers and laid next to each other in the dark. After several minutes of silence, Quinn spoke.

"We were at a party at Puck's," she said in a tone of voice that Rachel had never heard from her before. "I wasn't in the mood to be there but Santana and Brittany wanted to go and I always go with them when they party, even if it's just to keep an eye on them. I drank not really because I wanted to but because I was there, if that makes sense. After everyone started to get sloppy, I knew the party would be breaking up soon so I told San I was leaving. I knew she and B would be okay getting home and I promised her I would text her as soon as I was back at my house. I was drunk but not wasted. I got home and as soon as I walked in the front door, I knew something was wrong. I could just feel that something was off. That's when I heard the yelling."

Quinn's voice hitched and Rachel spoke through the darkness, "Can I hold your hand, Quinn?"

Quinn's hand snaked through the sheets and found Rachel's. Rachel laced their fingers together and squeezed the blonde's hand, waiting for her to continue.

"I ran upstairs as fast as I could and got to my mom's bedroom just in time to see my dad swing his arm back. Before he could hit her, I threw myself into his body and knocked him over. He grabbed my neck and shoved me away. My forehead hit the side of the bed. My mom tried to stop him but he hit me before she could do anything…"

Quinn flew back after her father's hand struck her. Her entire body was in pain and the area just below her right eye was burning, but she slowly staggered to her feet. Her mother rushed to her side and helped her up.

"Get the fuck out," Quinn told her father in a low tone of voice.

Russel laughed scornfully. "Who are you to tell me to get out of my own house, little girl? I thought I made myself clear when I threw you out."

Quinn opened her mouth but Judy spoke before she could. The older woman walked up to Quinn's father until they were face-to-face.

"Russel, this is not your house. It's mine and it's Quinn's. You made decisions for me for 23 years but not anymore. I'm done cowering behind you. We are no longer married. This is no longer your home. Get out of this house." She lowered her voice and leaned in closer, "I don't ever want to see you again and I swear to God if you ever come near my daughter again, I will kill you."

Russel was obviously drunk but he could see the ice in his ex-wife's eyes and understood by her tone of voice that she was not bluffing. He pushed past Judy, muttering, "Fuck you," before he stopped in front of Quinn.

"You are weak and worthless and you mean nothing to me. You're a pathetic excuse for a daughter. Don't ever associate yourself with my name again." With that, he left the room and several moments later, Quinn heard the front door slam shut.

As soon as she made sure that her mother was okay, she left. She couldn't be in that house that was full of memories of her father, a man who she had always loved and a man who she had just found out had never loved her at all.

She was too drunk to drive so she started to walk. She walked and walked without a set destination in mind until finally, finally, her feet stopped.

Right in front of Rachel Berry's house.

As Quinn finished speaking, tears rained down her cheeks. She had hated her father for a long, long time but deep down was still the little girl who had always wanted nothing more than to make her daddy proud. Now she knew that she never had and never would.

Rachel's heart broke hearing Quinn's story and watching her cry. She tugged Quinn into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around the blonde. Quinn let out a sob and cried into Rachel in a way she hadn't since the day she had given up Beth. Rachel ran her fingers through Quinn's hair and whispered soothing words of comfort until Quinn pulled away.

She sucked in a shuddering breath and tried to smile at Rachel. "Fun Saturday night, right?" she asked, her voice breaking.

Rachel, who had never known anything less than having two incredibly loving fathers, spoke honestly, "Well, it's certainly not what I thought it'd be but I wouldn't change it. I am so, so very sorry that you had to suffer through that tonight, Quinn. I can't imagine the pain you must be feeling. I don't know what made you come here but I'm so glad you did."

They got back under the covers and after a few minutes, Quinn turned to face Rachel.

"I came became you care," she whispered, a single tearing rolling down her face, because it was true – no matter what Quinn did to Rachel, the shorter girl always had a way of being there when she needed someone the most.

Rachel reached out and wiped the tear away. "I always have," she said.

She took Quinn's hand again and finally, after the other girl had fallen asleep, let her own tears fall silently down her face.

Thanks for reading! xoxo