Chapter 2 – Past and Present.
Within a half hour the two of them were back at Rachel's apartment.
"Make yourself comfortable Quinn" the brunette told her house guest as she shrugged herself out of her jacket, "do you want a beer?"
Quinn laughed, "Rachel Berry drinks beer? I never thought I'd see the day"
"It's 99 calorie beer it's a godsend" Rachel pointed out.
"Calorie counting? Like you need to do that, don't take this the wrong way but you are scrawny compared to what you were like in high school Rach"
Rachel couldn't believe it; had Quinn Fabray just complimented her? Was scrawny a compliment? She didn't even know.
"Well you look a lot healthier than you did back then if you don't mind me saying so" Rachel said as she sank down next to the blonde on her couch handing her a beer.
Quinn smirked, "yeah childbirth, starvation and laxatives were a bitch" she said taking a sip of her beer, causing Rachel to almost choke on her sip.
"I know about the childbirth obviously but, oh Quinn I never knew you'd put yourself through that!"
"Yeah. You know how power obsessed I was, it came with the territory. It's no wonder I was such a bitch all the time" she laughed.
"You weren't a bitch all the time, you had your moments" Rachel smiled.
"Anyway, enough about the past. There anyone important in your life?" the blonde inquired coolly.
Rachel shook her head, "I dated the first few months out here but nothing ever took, you?"
"Well, I hope they know what they're missing" she winked.
God I hope I'm not blushing Rachel thought to herself. Quinn wore a slight smile as if she'd heard her.
"And to answer your question nope I'm still free as a bird, have been ever since I got out of Ohio"
Rachel found that hard to believe looking at the girl in front of her, she toyed with her bottle nervously.
It was quiet for a few moments and Rachel didn't notice the blonde leaning towards her.
"Hey" she said softly in her ear causing the brunette a momentary brain lapse.
"Do you have anything stronger? I never drank with you in high school, I'm sure it's..an interesting experience" she smiled.
Rachel just nodded feebly getting up to enter the kitchen, Quinn following.
She got out two shot glasses and a bottle of Sambucca. The blonde chuckled and nodded approvingly.
"Bottoms up" Rachel declared filling the glasses letting her guest pick hers up.
"To friendship and reconnecting"
"I sure hope you're a fun drunk Berry" Quinn stated before knocking hers back.
Rachel winced as the liquid hit her throat and filled her with warmth, "I wasn't aware you were trying to get me drunk" she joked.
Quinn played idly with her shot glass, "and what if I want to?" she said playfully as she walked closer to the increasingly nervous looking brunette before her.
"I had a crush on you in high school" Rachel blurted out, mentally kicking herself for that ever so cool move. Not.
"So fucking cute" the blonde told her before backing her up against the counter.
Rachel took a big gulp of hair, oh my god is she gonna kiss me? What on earth is happening?
Quinn pushed her hair back off her face, palming her cheek and running a thumb across her lower lip before finally leaning forward pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.
Within seconds Rachel was responding pulling her closer matching her movements and dipping her tongue between Quinn's moist lips. It grew in passion and intensity, the brunette was about to boldly slip a hand underneath the blonde's shirt when she pulled away.
Quinn turned away slightly, breaking all eye contact. Rachel stood dumbfounded not knowing what to make of what had just happened.
"I'm sorry I got a little carried away" she laughed nervously.
"Its fine I just, I can't believe that just happened. What on earth was that?" Rachel said laughing too.
"I think I should probably go"
"Aw don't, you don't have to feel awkward"
"..Are you sure? I feel like I stepped over a line"
Rachel stepped to Quinn turning her to face her, "don't be silly it's..are you okay? Your eye looks really irritated"
"I'm fine I think I just got an eyelash in it or something" she said closing her eyes.
"Here let me..." the brunette reached towards her but was pushed away with quite a force.
Quinn sighed. "I'm so sorry, I , I have to go"
"Quinn please don't its fine"
"We shouldn't be friends, it'd be a mistake"
"Why? Why would it be a mistake to be friends now?"
"Rachel, it's too dangerous for you to be involved with me"
"What are you FBI or something? Are you in a secret mob or something" the actress joked.
"No nothing like that"
"Well come on what is it? I'm not going to let you scare me away Quinn. You intimidated me enough in high school and I'm not that naïve little girl anymore"
"I could do way more than intimidate you" the blonde growled as she had Rachel pinned to the ground.
The puzzled brunette stared up at her, she was scared and a little bit turned on by Quinn's aggressiveness.
"Who'd of thought Rachel Berry liked it a little rough" she laughed, Rachel bit a lip at how erotic the blonde's laugh was starting to sound. Even in this situation where she had no idea what was going on. But my god she didn't care.
"I can be as rough as you like me to be" she whispered as she nipped at an earlobe slightly, "or as gentle" she pointed out running a hand gently along Rachel's exposed thigh.
Rachel's eyes were clearly dilated and she was staring back at Quinn in pure astonishment.
Quinn smiled sweetly at her before running a finger down her neck. "This vein here, that's your jugular vein. The neck skin has a great blood supply; the jugular is the largest vein in the neck. Did you know that? You can bleed out really quickly from there"
"Why are you telling me this?" Rachel asked nervously.
The blonde dropped her head to her neck, barely licking the skin and inhaling the scent of her former high school frenemy. She took a sharp intake of breath before snapping her head back.
Rachel gasped at what stared back at her. Gone was the bright eyes and delicate features, staring back at her were dark focused eyes and what looked to be abnormally long pointed teeth.
No, it can't be. She can't be.
Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose and took a few deep breaths; suddenly her face was completely back to normal again. She smiled sadly before helping Rachel to her feet.
"What the fuck Quinn?"
"Now you get it, it was nice seeing you Rach" Quinn said picking up her jacket to leave.
"Don't you dare walk away with no explanation! So what, you're a vampire now? You gotta give me some answers, because I don't want you to leave Quinn. Stay, please"
"Why on earth would you want to keep a monster around?"
"I don't know what's going on but I know you're not a monster, even at your bitchiest you were never a monster. And I like you Quinn and it'd be nice to have somebody I can actually trust out here"
"I could kill you"
"I know, but I'm sure you wanted to kill me at times in high school too" this made Quinn laugh.
"You'd trust a vampire?"
"I'd trust you"
The blonde sighed, "You're going to want to sit down, and bring the alcohol"
So sat once again on Rachel's couch she began to explain.
"Before I tell you how it happened here's the basics. Yes I feed on blood to survive, yes I can go out in daylight without sizzling like bacon and no a stake through the heart won't work, though I'm sure it hurts like a bitch. We don't sparkle, we do sleep and we can't fly, but we can move at an accelerated pace. Bloodlust is like desire, only ten times amplified. The urgency is hard to control at first but you get the hang of it eventually. If we don't feed regularly our senses weaken and our physical appearance suffers, I know right? Blows. I don't kill unless it's necessary and I have a way of making people at ease with me feeding on them, feeding is more like a sexual act. It's nothing like Hollywood portrays, it feels good to the person being fed on so the experience isn't just one sided. It's not just the drinker getting off on it. Any questions?"
Rachel had already knocked back 4 shots since Quinn started explaining, she shook her head motioning her to continue. Quinn took a shot of her own.
"What I'm going to tell you isn't sugary sweet Rachel, but you're asking me to be honest with you. And for the first time since I became..what I am, I'm going to give you that"
"After we finished high school I didn't go to college. I got a job working as a secretary at my dad's friend's law firm, total bore but the money was fantastic. No one knows this but, I started seeing my daughter. Shelby told me she was always going to be honest with Beth, let her know when she was old enough to understand that she wasn't her birth mother. So I started seeing her here and there, just so I wasn't completely alien to her when the time came to tell her the truth you know? So anyway, for a year it was great I juggled work and saw Beth a few times a week. But one day everything just came tumbling down, somehow everybody at work found out that I'd been a teen mom that had given up her baby for adoption, and they didn't approve. The boss let me go; telling me it was for my own good given the circumstances. So I just got my things and started walking home"
"It was a little dark out but it didn't bother me, I'd walked that route a million times so I just took off as usual. A man in the gutter asked for some spare change so I handed him a dollar, before I knew it the dollar had been snatched out of my hand and I was flying backwards into a wall. I hit my head and must've blacked out. When I woke up the man was standing over me, telling me to not ignore the painful burning in my throat. As soon as he pointed it out I felt like I had a hot poker inside of me, he bit his wrist and told me to drink. As soon as I smelt the blood I attached myself to him"
Rachel's eyes were wide, "continue" she whispered.
"I drank from him not knowing what on earth was going on, when the burning sensation had ceased he told me to take a seat and listen closely. He told me what I was, how to live with it and the perks that came along with drinking blood. We travelled together a while he and I, learning to control my thirst and how to feed without causing others pain. We were a great double team at times. Then I learned that there was something Hunter had failed to mention, the few humans that don't doubt our existence. We had them after us a few times, total amateurs with stakes. But anyway, I got tired of Hunter he wanted to return to Ohio and blend right back in, but I just wanted more. So I decided to come here and see what sunny Los Angeles had to offer, I just didn't think you'd be something it had to offer"
"Wow. It sounds nothing like you'd think it would" Rachel said, Quinn smiled.
"I can't believe you're so calm, I expected you to kick me out as soon as you saw my biting equipment"
"Oh believe me I was shocked, and scared. But for some reason I just trust you, and I'm completely intrigued"
For a few moments Rachel sat studying Quinn as if they were meeting for the first time again.
"Would you ever drink from me?"
"No way, I don't feed on friends"
"..Oh"
"Wait, you don't want me to do you?"
The brunette sighed. "I don't know you just make it sound..interesting, and satisfying, for both parties"
Quinn bit her lip to hide a smirk, "ah I see how it is"
Rachel stared at the blonde with her best bedroom eyes.
"That is not even fair Berry! I remember those eyes in high school, you weren't the only one with a crush" Quinn groaned.
"So drink from me, I'm giving you permission" she said offering her wrist.
Quinn took the extended wrist and thumbed it with a sigh.
"I could kill you" she whispered running her lips over the brunette's thin delicate skin.
"I know"
