Chapter 10

Taking thing slow was hard as she finds herself staring at Rachel looking adorable in the outfits that Kurt arranged for everyone for their performance. How is it possible for her legs to look so long and sexy on such a short stature she will never know.

Quinn knew what she wanted. She wanted to take Rachel in her arms and kiss her good luck. She wanted to take her out on romantic dates. She wanted to call her her girlfriend and announce it to the world and walk arm in arm at school.

But they agreed to be friends. Well it was her idea. But she wanted all those things with Rachel being able to trust her. But that doesn't mean she didn't want to go over to Finn and smack him on his head for staring at Rachel the same way she just was. Except he was actually drooling.

She is shocked that Finn hadn't evaded Rachel space after the girl broke up with him. When she broke up with him, he had bugged her for months until Rachel came into the picture. She narrows her eyes as she noticed the gassy look on his face which means he might be plotting something or he might actually just have gas. There was no way of telling the difference.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors?"

Quinn looked up the question. Rachel was standing in front of her with her hands on her hips.

"No reason." Quinn answered curtly turning away from the girl and try to converse with the person closes to her who happened to Tina.

"It's nice to see you not wearing black today." Quinn complimented to a surprised Tina, who was pouting because of Kurt's color chooses on their outfits.

"Well... um...it's..not all that...bad. I...guess." Tina stuttered more so then normal. It was the first time the head cheerleader has ever spoken to her.

"It's nice." Quinn smiled.

"Thanks, I ..."

"Quinn. Don't ignore me." Rachel raising her voice interrupting Tina.

"I'm not. I answered your question, didn't I."

Quinn didn't want to stress Rachel out anymore then she was. Terri hasn't shown up yet. Neither has Santana. Rachel had immediately try to take over but nobody was listening. Spirits were down in their green room area and they were about to go on in less then thirty minutes without a clue where the lead singer was or the Glee club director.

"Come here." Rachel grabbed her arm to pull her up from her seat.

"Rach... everything is fine. We should just wait with everyone else for Miss Del Monico to show up." Quinn tried to convince her as she was being dragged to the bathroom.

Rachel let go of her arm when the were inside the bathroom to make sure nobody was in any of the stalls.

"This is a little dramatic dragging me to the bathroom don't you think?" Quinn huffed.

"Take them off." Rachel demanded as she stood in front of the blonde with a menacing glare.

Quinn sighed heavily after a moment of silence battle between them she reluctantly removed the shades that covered her face.

"I'm fine. I didn't sleep well last night and I didn't want to worry you." Quinn said when Rachel gasped at the sight of her bloodshot eyes.

"Oh my god, Quinn." Rachel gently cupped the blondes face to further inspect her eyes.

"Honestly, it's not that bad. And I'm in the background anyways so the judges will probably won't even noticed me and try to accused me of doing drugs or something." Quinn stood still has she allowed Rachel to worried over her face. She was aware at how closed they were and how easy it was to leaned forward to close they few remaining inches between them to capture those pouty lips. She sighed at how soft and comforting it felt to have Rachel caressing her face.

"Rach." She whispered.

"Yeah." Rachel's eyes dropped from the blonde's eyes to her lips probably realizing finally how close they were. She wanted Quinn to kiss her. She needed to feel those lips again.

"I want to kiss you."

Rachel's heart pounded heavily against her chest at Quinn's confession.

"Friends don't kiss." Rachel joked.

"They don't." Quinn pouted.

Rachel laughed at Quinn's adorableness. It was new seeing this side of the blonde when she was use to the icy cold head cheerleader for so long. It was always refreshing and she's determined to see more.

Rachel placed a small kissed on the blonde's cheek. She gentle rubbed the frown forming on the blonde's head, who was obvious disappointed.

"Kurt will kill us if we ruin our lipsticks, and also we will have to explain how we both managed to do that." Rachel explained.

"Fine." She muttered.

"I may have drops in my bag that can help with your eyes." Rachel said making her way to the door.

"Wait." Quinn lightly grabbed her arm.

Rachel turn back around.

"You look beautiful."

Rachel blushed.

"I wanted to tell you that earlier, but I didn't know if that was crossing the friendship line."

"But saying you want to kiss me doesn't?" Rachel asked amused.

"I asked first before I did anything?" Quinn defended lightly.

"Come on, we have a competition to get back to. We need to figure what were going to do if Miss Del Monico and Santana don't show up." Rachel rolled her eyes at the girl before leading her out of the bathroom.

When Quinn and Rachel return to the green room it was chaos. Everyone was freaking out. Quinn and Rachel shared a worried confused look wondering what may had happen in the few minutes they were gone.

"What happened?" Rachel asked out loud.

"I don't know." Quinn eyed Finn in the corner who looked more constipated then ever.

"Is Miss Del Monico here yet? We go on in about fifteen minutes?" Rachel asked the room.

"Scratched that." Mercedes told her breaking her conversation with Kurt. "Someone leaked our set list and our competition stole them knowing that we were the last group to perform. We're screwed."

"Is not like it mattered. Santana not here, so we would have been disqualified anyway." Finn argued.

"Yeah but someone is actively trying to make us lose. Santana has a lot going on." Mike defended the Latina. He didn't know why. He hate seeing is dancing partner so sad and he knew it was because of Santana.

"Maybe it was Santana." Finn suggested.

Quinn narrowed her eyes at him. There was something didn't seem right.

"It easy to assume that it was Santana, but I don't think she would do that." Rachel said trying to be positive.

"I didn't." Everyone stopped and turned to the door where an awkward looking Santana stood with Miss Del Monico by her side.

"Santana...I'm glad you decided to..."

"Shut it... I mean... I'm sorry." Santana said ignoring Rachel's shocking face.

"I'm sorry for letting you guys down. And I'm sorry about..." Santana looked at Brittany who averted her gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry for being an asshole."

Everyone was silent. From shock that the scary cheerleader they have come to fear was actually apologizing to them.

"Alright, Santana is sorry. So let's focus on what we need to do." Miss Del Monico said breaking the silence.

"Is there anything else you practice on beside what we were going to sing." Rachel asked Santana tentatively.

Santana frowned. "No, I've been too distracted."

"Rachel can sing the lead." Quinn piped in.

Rachel snapped her head to the blonde who smile at her encouragingly.

"She's the only one that can prepare something magnificent in the time frame that we have. We all know that." Quinn argued to the room.

Santana tilted her head at her old friend going back and forth with her and Rachel. Finn was just glaring at Quinn.

"I guess I can always sing "Don't Rain On My Parade", I've been practicing that song since I was three."

"Okay, that's great. We can all agree on that, right." Miss Del Monico asked something was better then nothing.

Every murmured their agreement, reluctantly agreed that if any one can pop out a song that quick, it would be their self-acclaimed best singer, Rachel.

"What about the second song?" Miss Del Monico asked.

Everyone looked around lost.

"How about "Don't Stop Believing." Santana chimed glancing at Quinn.

"We can all remember the dance routine Mike and Brittany arranged right." Santana asked praying for their support as their leader again.

"She's right. They were simple enough and at least it's something." Kurt said as everyone started nodded their heads and jumping up to get ready for their performance.

"I don't know if I can do this." Rachel said fidgeting behind the curtain.

"What are you talking about? You live for the this moment. You were born for this moment, Rachel." Quinn squeezed her hand in support.

"I just like to be fully prepare for something like this. What if I forget the lyrics? What if I miss a note? What if I..."

Quinn leaned forward and captured the brunette lips in her own for a chaste kiss.

"What was that for?" Rachel asked.

"I couldn't resist. Don't yell at me about the lipstick it's the same shade and it didn't smudge."

"Okay."

"You'll be fine. If anyone is going to take us to Regionals, it's you. You're the shinning star in all of us."

Rachel smiled.

Unbelievably they managed a victory from Sectional from their impromptu performance thanks to Rachel amazing voice. The bus ride home was filled with joyful cheering and singing. Some were appraising the little brunette from winning them the competition.

"Can I sit here?" Quinn asked when she found the taller blonde sitting in the back of the bus away from everyone including Santana.

"Sure." Brittany answered curtly not removing her gaze from the window.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"It's a miracle we all came together in the last minute, wasn't it?" Quinn smiled.

"Yeah."

Quinn sighed heavily at the blonde's short answer.

"Brittany, I miss you. I hate that you're angry at me. I want us to go back to the way we were. You haven't been this mad at me since the time when we were ten years old and I lost your stuff animal because we wanted to play pet rescuer and I forgot where I hid him."

"But you use all your money in your piggy bank to buy me a new one." Brittany muttered still staring out the window.

"Yeah. Our game started as Pet Rescuers then we ended up being Pet Detectives."

Brittany let out a small laugh as she remembers their silliness as kids. Quinn cheered inside for her small victory of cheering Brittany up.

"I like Rachel." Quinn confessed after a moment.

"What?" Brittany asked finally turning away from the window to look at the other blonde.

"Yeah." Quinn confirmed while looking at the rest of the bus making sure nobody was paying attention to them.

"Rachel Berry?" Brittany asked in shocked.

"We've been figuring things out. There have been a lot of kisses between us. We're trying to take things slow."

"Is that why she broke up with Finn?"

"Well that and also you know..." Quinn didn't want to mention their other friend.

"Yeah." Brittany looked down.

"No ones knows. And I want to tell you cause you are my best friend Brittany and I know I can trust you."

"I won't tell anyone." Brittany told her.

"I promise I won't keep another secret from you again. You mean too much to me. I don't want to jeopardize our friendship again."

"I missed you too, you know."

"So can we be friends again?" Quinn asked tentatively.

"We will always be friends." Brittany smiled at her. Quinn returned her smile and pulled her into a bone crushing hug sighing in relief.

"How did you guys win Sectionals?" Will asked Finn who was sitting in his classroom alone when they all returned to school.

"I have no clue. I did exactly what you asked me to do Mr. Shue." Finn said scratching his head.

"And the other teams performed the songs?"

"Yeah. Everyone was freaking out in the green room like you said. Miss Del Monico and Santana didn't even show up until the last minute."

"That just proves how much potential you guys really have without Miss Del Monico to ruin it. I need to get my chance and push you guys further making sure you have a guarantee spot at Nationals. We need to come up with another plan." Will said.

"And a plan to get Rachel back. She's becoming friends with Quinn and I don't think I like that."

"That seems like an unlikely friendship."

"Your telling me."

"Thats the power of music Finn. Bringing different people together. You need to win Rachel over with music."

"Hey, can we talk?" Santana asked apprehensively approaching Brittany at her locker.

"We never talk." Brittany snapped.

"Yeah. I know. That's my fault." Santana said tugging nervously at her dress. It was weird not wearing her Cheerio outfit at school and she could feel everyone's eyes on her. They were probably also staring because everyone believe she was still pregnant.

"I want to apologized for everything. I sorry for not wanting to talk about us. For sleeping with Finn because I was scared of how much you really mean to me."

"I can't forgive you." Brittany said fighting back tears.

"I know."

"I don't know how to be your friend either." Brittany said.

Santana looked at her heartbroken but she knew she deserved that.

"I can give you your space." Santana said.

"I think we both need space and time away from each other." Brittany went to walk away from the brunette.

"Wait, Britt." Santana called out. "I need to tell you something before everyone finds out."

Brittany stared at her waiting patiently.

"My dad took me to the hospital and we ran some tests. He did them himself. And...I'm not..." Santana took a deep breath and waiting for a moment when no one was walking by them. "I'm not pregnant." She whispered.

"Are you sure?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah."

"Congratulation." Brittany said with no emotion walking away.

Quinn frowned as she heard music coming from the auditorium where she usually meets up with Rachel. It wasn't strange but the person singing didn't sound at all like the brunette. She quietly opened the door and slide in without grabbing the attention of the two people on the stage.

Looking mildly confused at the whole decorations on the stage and spotting Finn dancing clumsy around Rachel singing an horrible rendition of a Journey song.

Did he think that he was going to win Rachel back like that?

Quinn wasn't that angry more amused by his lame attempt until she spotted a small smile of the brunette face. She rolled her eyes at Rachel. The girl enjoyed grand gesture even if they were lame.

She took a seat in the back where she knew they wouldn't notice her and watched quietly how this was going to unfolded. It was unlikely that Rachel was going to forgive him for cheating on her.

She watched as Finn finished his song with kneeling before her and offered her a rose which Rachel hesitantly took from his hands. She clenched her fist as she watched Finn's face light up with a goofy smile. Finn and Rachel and exchange some words before Finn disappeared from the stage leaving Rachel by herself.

Quinn continued to stay seated where she was fighting the urge to follow Finn and threaten him to stop pursuing Rachel but she knew that was not a good idea. She didn't like Finn trying to woo Rachel back at all.

"Quinn?"

Quinn had sat there longer then she thought, not noticing Rachel coming down from the stage making her way to the exits.

"Hey." She replied shortly.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked hoping Quinn hadn't witness Finn's performance.

"I wanted to see you."

"Did you see Finn performance?" Rachel asked taking a seat next to blonde.

"Yeah." Quinn begrudging confessed.

"I told him that he was wasting his time trying to win me back when he really should be focusing on Santana and his baby."

"He's not going to stop." Quinn told her.

"We're working on trust right?" Rachel reminded to blonde.

"Right." Quinn agreed.

Rachel smiled at Quinn's unnecessary jealousy. She found it adorable that Quinn was jealous at Finn's awful attempt to woe her. She found's the blonde's hand to interlock their fingers and rested her head comfortable on the blonde shoulder enjoying each other's presence.

"I told Brittany about us." Quinn told her after a moment of silence.

Rachel lifted her head to look at the blonde.

"Us. I thought we were just friends." Rachel teased.

"I mean I told I have feelings for you. Romantic feelings." Quinn said playful bumping her shoulders with the brunette. "After everything that's happen I want to be honest with her."

"I'm glad you've mended your friendship with Brittany. It's very un-comforting that Brittany is ever sad."

"Yeah. I really missed her." Quinn agreed.

"So how about you and Santana?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know. I honestly haven't thought about Santana lately. I just get so angry thinking about her."

"I'm not Santana's biggest fan at all but she's going through a lot."

"It's her fault." Quinn said angrily.

"I know. But wouldn't you want your best friend by you side if you were pregnant. She must be terrified."

"I don't think I can. I rather focus my attention on you then rebuilding my friendship with Santana."

"Quinn."

"So we should do friend things right?" Quinn asked changing the subject. "Do you want to go to the mall after school?"

"Sure." Rachel sighed in defeat.

"Hey." Finn called out to Santana in the empty hallways.

Santana sighed reluctantly turning around. "What is it, lumpy?"

He scratches his head for a moment not knowing how to approach her about the baby subject.

"Um...are you okay..I mean are you..." He looked down to her stomach. "fine. Everything okay."

Santana narrowed her eyes. She should have told Finn earlier.

"You off the hook." Santana said before walking away.

"Wait...what does that mean?"

"There's no baby. False alarm." Santana said.

"What?"

"I'm not pregnant." Santana enunciating every word.

"I don't understand. I lost Rachel because of the baby."

"Rachel broke up with you because you cheated." Santana clarified for him. "Just because there isn't a baby anymore doesn't mean you didn't have sex with me."

"Oh. But she would have never known about us sleeping together if there wasn't the rumor about the baby."

Santana doesn't know how Rachel could stand have a conversation with him sometimes.

"Yeah, who started that rumor anyway. Q said she didn't tell anyone. I know she didn't tell Brittany because Brittany was just as mad at her as she was at me."

"It wasn't me. I mean I almost told Kurt that one time but that was it."

"Hummel."

"I didn't tell him though."

"Yeah, but he might be smart enough to put the pieces together with what little information you gave him." Santana said seething.

"He wouldn't do that." Finn defended. "Look since it was your fault that Rachel dumped me you have to help me get her back and we have to separate her from becoming friends with Quinn. I don't know why Quinn is suddenly interested in becoming friends with Rachel after she torture her for so long."

"How is it my fault again?"

"The pregnancy thing."

"God you can even own up to your own mistakes." Santana said shaking her head. "You cheated. I just happen to be the girl that was stupid and drunk enough to do it with you."

"Look, it doesn't matter. Rachel and Quinn becoming friends effects you too. Quinn's replacing you." Finn said trying to get through to her.

Santana frowned.

"Just because Q and I are fighting doesn't mean I'm getting replaced. We've been friends since we were in diapers. She'll get tired of Rachel eventually."

"They are going to the mall together after school."

"Why? Is Quinn suddenly interested in wearing animal sweaters?" Santana asked.

"Cause they're friends. Maybe they go to the same stores you and Quinn use to go to. Maybe Brittany will join them."

"Get lost. I can't be manipulated by an overgrown, heavy breathing man-child. Rachel's your problem not mine. Do yourself a favor and get over yourself. In my opinion Rachel is better off without you." Santana said walking towards the choir room.

"Alright everyone. Great job at Sectionals." Miss Del Monico said as she sighed in relief as she still had a job. She couldn't believe they actually did it. "We need to learn from our mistakes and be more prepared for thieves and haters."

"Did we find out who leaked it?" Artie asked.

"It doesn't mattered." Miss Del Monico said. She had a clue that it was Will Shuester but she'll deal with that on her own. "Santana would like to tell you guys something."

Santana stood up from her chair to walk in front of the room.

"I hate that I let you guys down even though everything worked out in the end. A captain doesn't abandon their ship. Also like to let you guys know from me before you hear it from somebody else. As you know my dad is a doctor and he found out about the pregnancy and he did his own test on me and I'm not pregnant." Santana stood their awkwardly uncomfortable with their stares.

"What?"

Everyone looked around at each other in shock.

"Yea. Let's show Santana our support. This can be dramatizing for any women and let's show we're there for her." Miss Del Monico said.

Rachel glanced at Quinn trying to gouge her reaction but she was not showing any expression.

Everyone gave sympathy smiles to the Latina as she reclaimed her seat.

"Miss Del Monico, I would like to perform something for Santana."

Everyone groaned loudly.

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