Here is the filler chapter between season 3 and 4! I apologize for it being so short, hopefully I can get out another chapter soon to make up for it, but I have some assignments that are coming up soon so I'm not sure exactly when that will be. But here it is so enjoy!
Rory is the next one to leave. They all pile into cars to head to the airport to wish him goodbye. They had all pitched in a few bucks to get him a case of peanut butter, something to remember America and all of them by.
They get a ride with Tina and Mike because Sam wouldn't let her drive and she could tell that he was too upset to drive the two of them, he and Rory had been close.
They get there earlier than most because Sam wanted to make sure they didn't get caught in traffic or for there to be an accident and for them to miss him. Brittnay and Santana are already there with Brittnay's parents since Rory had been staying with them. Sugar is there too, eyes red and puffy, holding onto Rory's hand so tightly his knuckles are white.
She and Tina go to sit with Brittnay and Santana as Mike and Sam walk over to Rory, hugging him. Sam pulls out a picture out of his back pocket. "Stacey drew it for you, she says she'll miss you."
Rory unfolds the picture and smiles at it sadly, telling Sam to tell her he says thank you. He unzips the backpack that is sitting in the chair beside him and places it carefully inside.
As the time draws on, more of them arrive. Kurt, Blaine, and Finn are the next to arrive. Finn gives him the case of peanut butter and Rory throws his head back and laughs.
Puck is of course the last to arrive, ten minutes before Rory has to board, forty-five minutes after Artie, Joe, and Mercedes. Brittany's dad takes a group picture of them as soon as Puck gets there so that Rory can start saying his individual goodbyes.
She finishes her conversation with Kurt and goes to stand beside Sam who is trying his hardest not to cry. She holds his hand and smiles up at him, her heart heavy at the unshed tears shining in his eyes. "It's okay to be sad." She whispers to him and he nods.
Rory hugs her first. "Goodbye Quinn." He tells her sadly. She smiles back at him, a few tears rolling down her cheeks, too sad to echo the same words back to him.
She watches as Sam hugs Rory tightly, exchanging words to each other that she can't quite catch. When they break apart she sees that Sam has also let a few tears escape his eyes.
She grabs his hand again when they start announcing that passengers can board for his flight. They all walk him to where he has to board and wave him goodbye as he walks onto the plane.
They all make a non verbal agreement to stay until his plane takes off, standing in a line as it goes off into the air.
She links her arm around Sam's and smiles up at him, wiping some of his stray tears with her free hand. "Ready to go?"
He shrugs. "I guess."
She goes on her tiptoes to give him a soft kiss, partially because she only has so many left she can give, and also because she hopes it will take some of his pain away. Transfer some of his sadness and give it to her.
"I love you." She tells him when they pull away, neither of them commenting on the fact that she will be leaving in a month and a half too.
Mercedes goes next, leaving with Puck two weeks later on a Wednesday afternoon. The girls have lunch the day before she leaves and Quinn is thankful because she doesn't really feel like saying goodbye to Puck.
She and Sam are having a Disney movie marathon in her room when she gets the text from Mercedes saying she's left. Sam looks over to see what's captured her attention, and reaches over to squeeze her calf since her legs are bent beside him, her knees touching his legs which are spread straight out in front of them.
"You okay?" He asks and she nods, giggling when he scrunches his nose because some of her hair tickles his cheek since she had put it up in a bun.
"Time is winding down." She says sadly.
He doesn't answer her.
They spend most of their days together. Her mom leaves for weeks at a time for different work or leisure related things, so they stay at her house, wrapped up in her sheets. Burt and Carole had given him the okay as long as the two of them are being safe, and he is grateful because there's no way his parents would have ever allowed him to sleep over at his girlfriends house, especially in high school.
On the days that staring at her same four walls causes them to get bored out of their minds, they hang out with some of their friends. They go to a drive-in movie with Mike and Tina and all squish themselves in the back of Sam's pickup. Another day Kurt texts her that he and Blaine had driven past a roller skating place the other day that must have just opened, so a group of them go.
When Santana asks him where Frankenteen is, Kurt informs them all that Finn had left for the Army. Shock courses through all of them, and confusion as to why Finn didn't tell any of them.
Kurt shrugs and tells them "he told us three days before he was scheduled to leave during dinner and then he just left before any of us woke up when that day rolled around."
She looks around the group, there's only a handful of seniors left. Herself, Kurt, Mike, and Santana. Only them and their partners are here, and as she looks at all of them she wonders how many of them will actually stay together after they all leave. Will any get back together? Will any of them actually end up together?
Sam must notice her distress because he crouches down in front of her to ask her if she's okay while she's supposed to be tying up her skates. She nods quickly which just causes him to raise an eyebrow at her. He doesn't question her again on what's bothering her, he probably knows. Instead, he ties her skates for her and pulls her upwards, dragging her to where the rest of the group is waiting for them.
Her mom comes back three days before she has to leave which makes Sam sleeping over a little awkward, so he goes back to Burt and Carole's until the night before she has to leave.
She texts him when her mother tells her that she is going to bed. He parks down her street just in case her mother wakes up in the middle of the night, they don't need her seeing his truck through the window. She tiptoes downstairs when he texts her that he's here and she swings the door open and immediately hugs him.
"Woah." He says chuckling as he stumbles back a bit. "Hello to you too."
She waits for him to slip off his shoes and pick them up before she grabs his hand and leads him upstairs like he hasn't already been spending every night in her room.
He lets out a low whistle as he takes in her room. They hadn't spent any time in it the last three days with her mom home, instead choosing to go on double dates with Santana and Brittnay, Mike and Tina, or Blaine and Kurt. Sometimes all eight of them hanging out as a group.
The walls are mostly bare, the things that took their place sitting inside of boxes that she has already put in her living room downstairs. Her drawers are empty and her closet is only half full.
"You're not bringing this?" He asks, picking up the stuffed penguin he had won her at Six Flags. She bites her bottom lip nervously. He should know why she isn't bringing it. Not because she doesn't want to, but because she can't. And he knows the exact reason why.
"I have this instead." She tells him, shoving his hand under his nose so he can see his promise ring is still sitting on her right ring finger. He just hums back, but she can tell seeing that she still wears it lifts his spirits. She doesn't tell him that as soon as she gets to New Haven, it's going right back into its box.
"Do you think it's time to talk about it?" She asks him while sitting beside him on her bed. He shrugs his shoulders and she sighs. She should have known she would have had to be the one having to lead this conversation. "I don't want us to hate each other. We both know how long distance relationships turn out. It gets ugly, someone cheats on the other or-"
"We would never let that happen." He says curtly, interrupting her.
"We have before." She says softly, but it still makes him flinch. She leans her head on his shoulder to indicate to him that she's there. That regardless of how much he tries to put off this conversation, as long as she's still here they're eventually going to have to have it. "Do you remember when you asked me if I believed in us?"
She can feel him turn his head to look down at her, but she continues to stare straight ahead of them at her empty wall. "I do. I believe in us. That's why I'm okay with us breaking up. When you let true love go, it eventually comes back."
She lifts her head and turns her body to face him, placing her palm over his cheek. "I lost you once Sam, do you really think if I knew I was never going to never get you back I would risk doing it again?"
He doesn't say anything to her, just leans forward and kisses her. He picks her up from the end of the bed and throws her in the middle. She laughs and covers her mouth when she realizes how loud she was. He laughs quietly and goes to lay on top of her, both of knowing what tonight is supposed to signify. Just like that summer night in Kentucky, if this is goodbye, this is how I want you to remember me.
xxx
She sets an alarm for them to get up earlier before her mom so it looks like Sam had just driven over to help her pack up really early. The look her mom gives her when she gets downstairs tells her that her mom saw right through her plan.
Most of the morning is spent with Sam carrying her boxes to her mom's car. "So, how is this going to work?" Sam asks her, stripping his red flannel off and leaving him a plain white t-shirt as the sun begins to beat down on them.
"How's what going to work?" She asks and she piles all her hair on the top of her head, fanning the back of her neck to cool it down.
"This." He says, moving his hands to gesture them. "Us. Are we friends? Do we not talk?"
She purses her lips, she hadn't really thought that far. "Friends I guess, we've been best friends before while still being in love with each other." She jokes, trying to ease the tension.
He doesn't say anything, just goes to pick up another box to put in the trunk of the car, which just makes her angry because she's tired of feeling like the bad guy. "You know, I don't want to do this just as much as you do." She snaps at him.
"Then let's not!" He shouts back and she flinches. Her eyes fill with tears and she sniffles. She knows how it would go if they were to try long-distance. They would never have time for each other, between her classes and him having glee club and football practice. They would grow frustrated and begin arguing all the time, and she doesn't want that for them.
Guilt flashes across his face when he sees her looking down at the sidewalk with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." he tells her, walking up to her and wrapping her up in his arms. "I'm just going to really fucking miss you." She doesn't scold him for cursing, just leans her head into his chest and closes her eyes.
xxx
Her heart drops to her stomach when she starts seeing everyone come to wish her goodbye, it's almost time for her to leave.
Mike, Tina and Artie arrive first, Tina already a sobbing mess. "Oh Tina," she says, running to hug her as soon as she sees the crying girl exit the car, her own voice just as watery.
Santana and Brittnay come next with Kurt and Blaine following shortly after. "I'll be back for the holidays." She tells everyone after she's given everyone their individual goodbyes.
"Quinnie, it's time to go!" Her mom calls from the driver's seat of the car. She sighs and gives everyone one last smile before starting to turn around. Sam grabs her arm and kisses her one last time, both of them tasting each other's tears on their tongues.
She runs to get into the car so she doesn't stop herself. Her mom leaves immediately because she can see how she keeps one hand on the door handle as soon as she gets inside the car. She turns around to see everyone waving at her, but she isn't focused on them, she's only focused on him. Focused on how he has a few tears still streaming down his face, heartbreak all over his face which she can only assume matches her own.
"Quinn, does this belong to you?" She hears her roommate call a week and a half after she's settled in. She exits her room and walks into the living room where the door is to see what her roommate is talking about.
"Does wha-Sam?" She asks. There he stands, hands in his pockets with a small grin on his face. Her roommate smirks at her before leaving them for her own room. "What are you doing here?"
"This is a nice place you've got." He tells her, completely ignoring her question, looking around. It's nothing special, her residence. It has a small living room/entrance way with two rooms.
The two of them stare at each other for a bit before she realizes that she should probably let him in. He follows her to her room and stays standing by her door as she goes to sit back on her bed.
"I missed you." He tells her, walking towards her.
"I missed you too Sam, but we still can't-"
"You grew your hair out." He says cutting her off, sitting beside her and playing with the ends. She rolls her eyes, but is too happy that he's there to be actually mad at him.
"Sam seriously." She says, only half meaning it.
"I missed you." he says, his voice low and it makes her feel things. He leans in and hovers his lips overtop of hers. "So I came to see you." He tells her before kissing her.
Her brain short circuits when he puts his lips on hers, all thoughts leaving her head. She throws her arms around his neck and deepens the kiss, consequences be damned.
xxx
"We probably shouldn't have don't that." She tells him breathlessly after they've finished, laying together under her sheets.
"Too late to change it now." he tells her, throwing an arm around her as both of them stare up at the ceiling.
"I guess we can have one slip up." She says, turning her head to face him, leaning her head up on her elbow, allowing his arm to fall behind her.
"So that's what I am huh? A slip up?" He asks her, mimicking her actions. "Because I don't remember you complaining before."
She rolls her eyes but blushes and squeals when he pulls her on top of her again.
The next time he comes back is four days later. She's the one to open the door this time. She's in the living room grabbing some papers she accidentally forgot on the table when there's a knock on the door. She stares at the door curiously for a second before realizing it's probably her roommate who forgot her key again.
But it's not her roommate, it's him, standing there with rain soaked hair and takeout in his hand.
She doesn't say anything, just jumps into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and kicking the door shut with her foot as soon as he starts walking them towards her room, takeout left on the floor.
xxx
"What's your excuse this time?" She asks him as he draws circles on her bare back, watching her as she gets everything organized for her classes on her laptop she just bought the other day.
"Thought you might be hungry." He says casually, and she can feel him shrug from behind her.
"So you drove ten and a half hours to ask me?" She asks, turning around to laugh at him. He just flashes her a grin and leans up to lay a kiss on the back of the shoulder. Not that she's complaining, he's not bad company.
The last time she lets it happen is two days before school starts. He gets there at 1:15 in the morning, and she's yawning as she pulls the door open. Asking "Sam?" even though she knows it's him since he had just texted her out of the blue that he was here.
Even though she's half asleep, she can see the look on his face. He knows it's the last time too. He knows that after this, she's not going to allow it to happen again.
She pulls him into her room quickly so they don't wake up her roommate who has to be up early for work the next day. He kicks off his shoes as soon as he gets inside, his jacket following shortly after.
She sits with her legs crossed on her bed, hands playing in her lap, watching him strip his shirt off next. She jumps when he sits in front of her, placing his hands on her hips, thumb rubbing the bare skin where her sleep shirt ends and her shorts begin.
"Sorry." he mumbles as he goes in to kiss her, hands itching upwards.
"S'okay." she says softly, moaning quietly.
He pulls back at her and grins, fingers tapping against the end of her shirt. She nods her head and turns her brain off after that.
xxx
She rubs her fingers up and down his arm, but he doesn't stir. Sam had always been a heavy sleeper. She turns her head around and taps her phone on her bedside table to check what time it is. The numbers 4:17 stare back at her. She sighs, although they had only decided to sleep about an hour ago, she can't bring herself to do it because she knows as soon as she does once she wakes up she's going to have to let him go, so maybe if she doesn't she can have him forever.
She moves a piece of hair that has fallen in his eyes and leaves her hand there, stroking just above his eyebrow. "Sleep." He tells her, eyes still close and voice full of sleep. He reaches out and moves her closer to him, pushing her face into his chest. She giggles.
"Can't" She whispers back to him, trying her best to look up at him, but not getting very far due to his chin resting on top of her head.
He opens his eyes and looks down at her, allowing her to move her head back so she can properly look at him. "Oh no, can't have that. Grumpy Quinn is the worst."
She gasps and punches his chest and he laughs, grabbing her closed first and bringing it up to his lips so he can place a soft kiss on her knuckles.
They both can't fall back asleep, so they stay up the night talking. Talking about how coach Beiste thinks he is a good contender for becoming quarterback again since Finn has now graduated. They talk about what they think glee club is going to look like this year. They even talk about the clubs she's joined and the drama program Yale has.
Neither of them mention how they both know this is the last time they'll be doing this. After this they probably won't be seeing each other again for a while. She wants to bring it up, rip off the bandaid now so she doesn't have to do it later. But watching him, how he talks how excited he is for this year while absentmindedly playing with strands of her hair, she can't do it. She can't break his heart again.
xxx
They stay in her bed until about eight am and then mutually decide it's best for him to leave now so he can get back to Lima at a decent time. He can tell she's been growing worried at him driving all night just to visit her.
She walks him to his truck this time, both of them staying silent as she clutches onto his arm so tightly she's sure there will be nail imprints on his skin through his jacket and shirt.
He pushes her against his truck, leans down, and kisses her softly, like the two of them are in a teenage romcom. So she pretends for a second, that none of this is happening, and even if it is it doesn't matter because cinema magic will bring them back together.
But that fantasy is ripped away from her as soon as he pulls away. She doesn't let go of his arm right away. He realizes when he goes to get into his truck and is being held back by her. He turns around to look at her, then down at her small hands wrapped around his arm. He looks back up at her again, silently telling her that it's time for him to go.
"We can't do this anymore." She tells him before he gets into his truck. She can see the look in his eyes, pleading with her to just let them do this, let them have this. They can stay broken up or whatever she wants them to be, he'll always do anything for her, but just let him have this. So she looks away.
She sees it, for a split second she sees the heartbreak pass through his eyes before it quickly disappears. She wants to tell him that it's not only him, she's breaking her own heart too. This is hurting her as much as it's hurting him, but the words are caught in her throat and he is walking away from her before she can get them out. "Got it." he says with a nod before getting in his truck and driving away.
She doesn't hear from him again.