Quinn

"Quinn, you okay?" Will asks.

Quinn runs into the bathroom and pukes in the toilet. Morning sickness. Things are going great in Glee club since Rachel has decided to quit and do the musical instead. Since Rachel has quit Quinn has been given the lead in "Don't Stop Believing" for invitations. It's great but it's a lot to take on since she's pregnant. She's closer than ever with Finn but that doesn't change the fact that this baby is like a ticking time bomb. She's just waiting until she starts to get huge in a few months and then she'll be a loser just like Rachel.

Finn opens the stall door. "Quinn, are you okay? Are you sure you're gonna be able to handle all this dancing and singing with this solo?"

"Finn, please can we just not have this conversation while I'm throwing up my breakfast into the school toilet," she sighs and stands up.

"Yeah, sorry." He hands her a piece of gum.

Quinn smiles lightly and takes the gum. "Thank you. Now get out of the girl's bathroom before someone sees you in here and starts asking questions."

"Right, okay. I'll be in the choir room."

Finn leaves and Quinn washes her hands then splashes some water on her face. She tightens her ponytail and reapplies her lip gloss then walks back to the choir room.

"Alright, should we run it again?" Will asks.

Quinn nods at him and smiles at Finn.

—

Rachel

Finn walks into a classroom where Rachel is. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Rachel looks up and smiles nervously. "Nothing. Uh, just...getting the star treatment I didn't get in Glee," she says without making eye contact.

He steps closer. "Totally."

"It's times like this where I know I've chosen the right path. I'm never going back to Glee. It's clear my talent is too big for an ensemble."

"Not gonna get an argument from me."

Rachel looks up at him and tilts her head. That's not the reaction she was expecting. "I'm not?"

"No, you're like the most talented person I know," he says and grins, sitting down on the table in front of her with his hands in his pockets. "Even more than that guy at the mall who can juggle chainsaws. I just wanted to let you know that if you need someone to run lines with, I'm available."

Rachel knows that this is somehow a trap but she's still taking the bait. Finn is hitting on her again, even though Quinn is pregnant. So he must really like her. "Th-there is a lot of dialogue."

"I figured…we could go somewhere quiet, maybe with low lighting and…" he shrugs. "Let me know." He stands up and turns to walk away.

She smiles and gives him a small waive which she immediately feels silly for because he's not even looking at her anymore.

—

The next day Finn and Rachel are running lines in the choir room.

"I'm sleeping with him," Rachel says.

"So am I...this play's weird," Finn says.

"That's Mr. Ryerson's favorite line. You're a really good actor, Finn. Maybe you should consider joining the musical."

"Um, I'm pretty devoted to Glee. I don't think I could just walk away from it. I know how hard it was for you."

Rachel knows what he's implying. That that's what she did. She abandoned the Glee club in their time of need. But why should she care? Why does Finn even care when he has his baby to worry about. She looks down guiltily. She looks back up as he starts speaking

"But I could justify doing both if you came back. But we both know that's not gonna happen. Do you know what we should do?" he says making intense eye contact with her.

"Elope," she blurts out with wide eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing." Quinn. He's dating Quinn. She sits at the piano.

"We should go bowling. You're always so stressed out about the play. You just need to loosen up. I always go bowling whenever I'm worked up about a big game or something." He sits down next to her at the piano.

"Just us?" she asks, not looking at him.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, that-that-that would be great. I-I am really stressed out. But that's the price you pay for being a star."

"Don't I know it," April says as she walks into the choir room with Will.

Finn quickly stands up from the piano.

"Hey Rachel," Will says, smiling. "April Rhodes, Rachel Berry. Hey, can you give us the room, Rachel? We need to teach April the cues for "Don't Stop Believing."

"Wait, she's singing the female lead?" Finn asks.

Rachel shakes her head feeling more confused than ever. "Wait, she's in the Glee club? She's...ancient."

Will gives Rachel the same look her dads give her when she says something rude.

"Talent doesn't age, sweetheart," April says.

"That's Rachel's part, Mr. Shue," Finn says.

"Well, Rachel's not in Glee club anymore."

"Thanks, Finn," Rachel says and turns to walk out of the room. She knows Will is only on her side when she's doing what he wants but he doesn't have to be so rude about it.

"Rachel...we're all really excited to see the play," Will says. "Make sure you save us a seat in the front row."

Rachel shakes her head. He had to save it so it didn't seem like he was being rude. She walks out of the room and watches for a moment through the window on the door as April and Finn warm up. She hates the play but in Glee club she will always be in someone else's shadow. Will knows she's the best and yet he's punishing her for it by giving her solos to everyone else.

—

Later Rachel is at play practice getting screamed at by Sandy and wondering why she even wanted to do this stupid play in the first place. She storms out and goes into the bathroom crying. She wipes her tears with some toilet paper. Then, her worst nightmare. Quinn walks out of the stall. Just because Rachel saw her cry in the car doesn't mean they're not still enemies. Rachel knows that, she does, but she's hoping Quinn could just give her a break today.

"You're not a very pretty crier are you, Berry," Quinn says.

"Neither are you…" she responds softly.

"Hard practice?"

"No, no, these are happy tears from all the star treatment I'm getting."

"Mhm, well Mr. Shue has brought in some middle aged washed up singer but she's apparently been sucking up to most of the Glee club so no one has really been missing you."

"Great, that's...great."

"She hasn't sucked up to me. I've been pretty busy with yanno." She motions to her lower half. "Anyway, I better get back before Ms. Sylvester starts wondering where I am."

Rachel watches as Quinn walks out the door. She thinks Quinn might have been trying to say something nice but she can't be sure. Not with Quinn.

—

After practice Rachel goes bowling with Finn. They're at a lane and he hands her a pink bowling ball. "Do I have to put my fingers in the holes? Couldn't there be diseases in there or something?" she says and looks at Finn.

"Oh, no. Ball sharing's all part of the fun. Here, use the pink one. Pink's your favorite color, right?"

She picks up the ball. "Now what?"

"Follow my lead." They walk over to the start of the lane and Finn helps her get into a good stance by standing behind her and putting one hand on her shoulder and the other on her elbow. "Just look at the pins. Nice and straight."

She throws the ball poorly and it goes right into the gutter. She smiles at him.

"You sure this is your first time?" he jokes with his hands on his hips.

They play for a while and then Finn gets them some food to share.

"This is really good pizza," Rachel says with her mouth full.

"Yeah. I think they import the pepperoni from, like, Michigan or something."

Rachel swallows. "How's Glee?"

"Oh, well, everybody misses you."

She looks to the side. "They miss my talent."

"No, no. We're your friends," he shrugs. "We just miss having you around."

"I love Glee. I just don't see the point in wasting my energies on someplace that I'm not appreciated."

"I appreciate you."

Finn gets up and picks up the pink ball. "It's your last ball," he says and smiles.

She gets up and grabs the ball smiling and getting into position like he showed her.

"Just like the first time, but better," he says.

She closes her eyes and kisses the ball. She smiles and sort of drops the ball instead of throwing it. It rolls into the center and by some miracle it's a strike. She covers her mouth in surprise and jumps up and down laughing in excitement. She throws her arms around Finn's neck and he hugs her back, smiling and laughing. She pulls away, her hands still on Finn's shoulders looking into his eyes just like back in the auditorium. Without thinking, she kisses him. He pulls away after a moment and she expects him to yell at her. Or at least tell her that he's committed to his girlfriend.

"Come back to Glee."

"What about Quinn?" she asks, her hand still on his shoulder.

He looks away. "I don't know what's gonna happen in the future. I just know that I wanna spend more time with you now."

"I'll-I'll have to quit the play." She looks away then back at him with a smile. "I'll do it!" She nods and hugs him, wrapping her arms around his neck again.

—

Rachel walks into the Glee club meeting the next day early and almost everyone is there.

"Yes, you've heard right — I am returning to Glee club. In lieu of flowers, please send all donations to a socially conscious charity of your choice."

Everyone starts whispering. She should've known they didn't really miss her. Finn was just lying to get her back.

"Uh, I'm sorry; I thought I'd be welcomed back with a tad more enthusiasm."

"Sorry, Glee club has just been rocked with it's first scandal," Kurt says and grins.

"Quinn's knocked up," Mercedes says.

Rachel looks down. She has to pretend like she didn't know. If anyone finds out she was flirting with Finn while knowing Quinn was knocked up they would think she was a terrible person.

"And the baby daddy? Finn," Kurt says.

"Oh, wow. That's...crazy. Honestly, I'm shocked. I thought for sure Finn was a virgin," she says nervously. Although, it was a pretty A plus performance, she thinks. However, Finn doesn't know that she knew. So he was really just playing her. He never really liked her. He's the person that's truly terrible.

Rachel storms out of the quiet room and finds Finn in the hallway.

"Finn!" she yells and as he turns around to face her she slaps him in the face. "You're a liar. Why didn't you tell me Quinn was pregnant?"

"Who told you?"

"Everyone knows but me. I'm the only fool who went out with you and let you kiss me, thinking you actually had feelings for me."

"But I-I do. Look, yeah. I haven't been totally honest with you, but that's different than lying."

Rachel shakes her head.

"Well, maybe it's not that much different, but...but look, I need to get a music scholarship, so I can go to college, so I can get a good job, so I can take care of my kid and I can't do that if you don't come back to Glee club. You should take it as a compliment."

"You could have just been honest with me."

"Look, I know what I did was wrong. I get that, but...that kiss was real."

"Whatever it was, it ruined any chance of me ever coming back to Glee. I hope you have fun playing house with Quinn while you languish in your little ensemble but my dreams are bigger than that. And they're bigger than you," she says and turns away from him rushing down the hallway. Sure maybe she knew about Quinn being pregnant but only by accident. Finn never told her and he still let her on and made her feel more confused about her feelings than ever.

—

Rachel watches from the audience later that evening as the Glee club performs without her at the invitational. She knows she can't let this happen. She can't let her possible feelings for Finn and anger towards Quinn at being perfect even when she's pregnant, get in the way of her true passion. Singing.

She peaks her head in the choir room after seeing a clearly drunk April leave the building

"Hey, guys. You were great. Don't worry. There will be other performances," Will says.

"Excuse me?" Rachel says as she takes a step into the choir room. Will turns to face her. " I think I might have a solution. In show business when a star can't perform, her understudy steps in. I'd be happy to go on for April if you'd let me."

"Since when are you willing to be an understudy?" Mercedes asks.

Rachel steps in further. "Since I quit the play."

"Really? Why?" Kurt asks.

"I realized being a star didn't make me feel as special as being your friend. If I'd let you down when you needed me the most, I'd never forgive myself. I know all the words to the song," she says and looks around at the group's sad faces.

"You don't know the choreography," Quinn says, unhelpfully.

Rachel nods slowly and frowns.

"Then we're going to have to give her a lot of help out there," Finn says and smiles.

"Go get in your costume," Will says and smiles.