A/N- Sorry for the delay everyone, I had finals week and also I was lazy to finish up the last part during Spring break. It won't happen again… I hope *sweats nervously*
Rachel had told Santana that she once again encountered Quinn and how she helped her escape.
"Big deal," Santana scoffed "She probably wants to arrest you herself."
"She would've done it by now, right?"
"She's been trying all this time! Remember the house visit last week?"
"It still doesn't make sense," Rachel rubbed her temples, trying to come up with an answer to why Quinn did what she did "It's probably a mind game, she wants me to think that just because she helped me means I let my guard down and when I let my guard down- BOOM she goes in and turns on me."
Santana continued to look at her with indifference "Instead of obsessing over this, why don't we find another place to do our tagging? Like in a garbage yard, the park walls, anywhere but that damn subway place since she knows you're always there."
"But that's the place where I tagged my first drawing." Rachel pouted
"Do you want her to keep ''threatening'' to catch you or not?"
Rachel didn't want to admit this, even to herself, but she recently sort of enjoyed the blonde's presence and her numerous attempts be to the bad cop. Aw hell no, mentally cursing herself for suddenly having any type of feelings for Quinn; she can't like her company, she's gotta be heartless and emotionless like Santana.
"Fine, where's our next place?"
"You're going to love this one, but it's just a one-time thing," Santana smirked "Think of it as your good riddance to blondie."
"In my years of tagging, I never had the balls to do this!" Puck squealed like a little girl as they pulled up to the police station.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Rachel was fully on board with leaving a goodbye message on the walls of authority, but being there just made it real and started to have second thoughts on the whole thing.
"Positive, all the cops went home an hour ago. No reason they should be here at 3 a.m on a Saturday." Santana had to do research on this, it'll be a total fail if they arrived and the cops will still be here.
When they parked the car out of sight from the security camera, all three taggers masked their face with a beanie and brought out the paint and hammers. Puck took care of the cameras while the girls did their set up.
"I never notice how gross my beanie is, it smells like cheese." Puck yanked off his mask and threw it to the ground.
"That's why I tell you to wash it every week."
"Rach, don't be the mom of the group."
The brunette rolled her eyes "Just don't blame me because of your foul odor."
"Would you guys stop messing around and help here!" Santana snarled at the pair while shaking up the spray cans.
They are just going to paint their usual pigs in a uniform, but with the message for Quinn saying, "Find us now". Once the covered up most of the side building, it was time for them to get going. Puck and Santana packed up their things while Rachel checked the premises, they didn't know why she offered to do that, but maybe it was to double check if anyone was in their area.
Nope that wasn't why Rachel did it, she did it so she can stall her friends. When they got into the car, Santana yelled for Rachel to hurry up. She yelled back saying she's looking her Puckerman's beanie, since she didn't want to leave any evidence to the scene, but to also leave Quinn another message. Below the pig drawing, she wrote with her pencil "You'll find me soon", it's cheesy and sappy, but she had to let Quinn know she'll come back.
Even though she has to hate Quinn's guts because she's involved with her biggest enemy, she can't help but enjoy her. She's something different- and different is nice from all the shit she's used to seeing.
Russell stood in front of the painting, angrily clenching his jaw, fighting the urge to curse out anyone that comes near him "Seriously...who do those kids think they are!"
"Well, we can't fight them with this since we don't have evidence," Officer Gutierrez came from behind and pulled out a mini screen to show him the security footage "They destroyed the cameras and they had masks, so no solid proof that they did this."
"But they draw this kind of crap!"
"We know that, but do we even have actually footage that we can prove they did it?"
Before Russell can open his mouth and shout at the top of his lungs, his wife and daughter drove up to his work. He can see Judy bring him his lunch bag that he forgot on the kitchen table.
"Honey, what's going on?" Judy's worriness heard in her voice.
While Russell explained the situation to his now terrified wife, Quinn went to the drawing and looked at every detail. She knows who did this since she's seen it down in the subway walls, but she would have never thought Rachel was capable to pull off this stunt. This painting is for her, to warn her that Rachel's gone now and she can't do anything about it, but be pissed at herself. She's the reason her dad's hand got injured, she's the reason why her dad is protective now because she went to go see Rachel, and now she has to deal with this mess.
Eyes scanning the graffiti, the message stung a little and she doesn't know why. Just knowing she encountered this girl more than five times and she never turned her in makes her feel stupid. Quinn scanned the drawing and even asked officer Gutierrez if she can take a closer look. Eyes roaming the wall and the offensive pig, only to see a tiny message under its foot. Quinn fought a growing smirk, so this wasn't Rachel's doing, probably those two numbskulls forced her into their plan.
"Do you know anything about this?" Russell took his place next to his daughter. Quinn felt insulted, just because she has met these taggers doesn't mean she's one.
"Funny how you ask me that since I want nothing to do with them."
"You've been following them."
"That's to catch them for you." Quinn snarled, getting the feeling that her own dad is trying pin this all on her.
"Quinn," He sighed "This isn't your business. Don't get involved anymore."
But she wants to be apart of this, it's her natural instinct to help her father whenever he's in need of anything. Quinn didn't argue any further, nothing she will say can change his mind. This little prank isn't going to stop Quinn from finding Rachel, not one bit.
After Russell sent his wife and Quinn back home, Quinn asked if she can stay over Brittany's house for a while. Since Judy had no idea that Quinn was not allowed to go over any friends house unless Russell was there, she said yes. Quinn mentally threw a party in her head, playing her parents wasn't something she normally does, but if it meant seeing Rachel then so be it.
Quinn smirked all the way to Brittany's house, she said her goodbye and that Brittany will be taking her home. Once her mom took the corner and can no longer see her, this was her chance to walk to the bus stop and wait.
Inside the Pierce house, Brittany looked out her window since she heard a car door slam, thinking it was Lord Tubbington's therapist. Instead she saw Quinn, she doesn't remember the blonde calling her and saying she was coming over, but once she saw Quinn heading the other direction she just had to follow her.
Brittany wasn't stupid to put two and two together ever since the whole catching Quinn red handed day. The blue-eyed girl waited for the bus to leave so Quinn wouldn't see her hot on her trail. Thank god for cheerleading practice, if it weren't for Sue's constant threats about if they stopped running she will shoot them out of her canon then she would have never ran after that damn bus.
Brittany took a breather at the end of the street when the bus made it's stop in front of the subway entrance. Quinn came out of that bus so fast she almost tripped by missing a step.
Quinn made her way down and she didn't see Rachel in sight. Was she too late? "Rachel.." She called out. A noise from the public bathroom caught her attention and that's where she found Rachel.
"I see you got both my messages." Rachel smirked.
"I would be yelling at you for vandalizing my dad's police station, but what really made me come here was why'd you leave that message for me?"
Rachel couldn't spit out the truth about how her group didn't want her seeing the blonde, it'll just get messy "My friends wanted to roll outta here, but leaving this sanctuary would mean not seeing you fail miserably at trying to catch me."
Quinn would be lying if she said her heart didn't stop when she heard 'not seeing you', but then Rachel continued on and teased her about her failed attempts "So, you're not going?"
"I don't want to, but I kinda have to. They think it's best for me."
"What's wrong with this place? I mean it's old and gross, but perfect for graffiti."
"It's not graffiti- it's art," Rachel defended her art culture, it's not the first time people dissed artists that don't paint their views on a blank canvas "They just think it's overused and that I need to expand my work to other places."
"But are you coming back?" That's the million dollar question that's been rattling in her head.
"Of course," Rachel smirked "Did your dad love the masterpiece?"
Quinn smiled softly while shaking her head "He almost popped a vein when he saw it."
"That's what I was going for."
"Is this the tagger your dad hates, Quinn?" Brittany spoke, standing at the top of the stairs.
Both Quinn and Rachel jumped when they heard her, Quinn's face went pale "Britt, what are you doing here?" She snarled.
"I saw you at my house, but then you left, so I followed you," Brittany stood in front of both girls and turned to the tagger "You're the reason Quinn's on prohibition."
"It's probation, Britt.."
Rachel chuckled "And you say it's great having a dad on the force."
Quinn facepalmed then turned to her friend "Brittany, can you give us a moment? As soon as I'm done then I'll leave."
She nodded and headed out, not without glaring at Rachel while doing so.
"Well, there goes my first impression." Rachel joked just to lighten the mood.
Quinn didn't want to beat around the bush any longer, she needed to find out how long she won't be seeing this troublemaker "How long will you be gone?"
"Just a week, like I said I need to expand my work to many areas for me to be known."
Hazel eyes shifted to the tagged up wall "Which one's yours?"
"Guess."
How the hell can she guess someone's graffiti? They all look the same; it's just a bunch of drawings on a wall that you can get out of a coloring book. Quinn examined the ones that looked freshly painted like that...that painting with the pigs in police uniforms and donuts.
"You're looking at the pigs, aren't you?" Quinn nodded, but judging by her tone she guessed wrong "I knew it. There are many other great works and you decided to focus on that. There's much more to me than what your dad tells you."
"I've read your files and seen many photos of the same drawing on walls at the park and houses. How can you expect me to know what your drawing is?"
Rachel walked to the wall and pointed at the first drawing "The Statue of Liberty made by a Jewish teenager, that's me, with hopes that one day she'll make it to New York and make something of her life," Her hand gliding across the painting and admired her hard work "Without the support of anyone. It's a dream of mine to get outta here and go to the city of dreams."
She is more than what her father says, Rachel's just an average girl who wants to not only leave this lifestyle, but to actually become successful "Someday you will," Quinn spoke softly to reassure Rachel, but the brunette's reaction had her eyes wide and eyebrows raised, did she say something wrong? "What?"
Rachel didn't want to seem fazed that this girl, who hardly knows her or what she's been through, actually believes she'll escape this nightmare and find her light. The brunette's eyes glazed over Quinn and took a good look at her and said "I'll tell you about it another time, your friend's waiting for you."
You can't just have a face that looks like you seen a ghost and not tell someone what you're thinking, it gave Quinn an uneasy feeling of not knowing what she was going to tell her. She does understand that Brittany was waiting for her, so she'll let this one slide for now. Quinn said her goodbyes and met her friend up the stairs. When she got there, Brittany had her arms crossing her chest and a face that was unamused.
"You're starting to like her, aren't you?" Brittany says it like she's known this whole time and is looking for confirmation.
"What? No way! She hurt my father and I'm just trying to find ways to capture her."
Lies.
"Are you sure? You always go see her."
True.
"Only to find out her weaknesses, or surprise attack her."
Total lie.
Brittany seemed satisfied with her answers for now "Just please stay far away from her, it's for your own safety." She really cared about Quinn and always thought of her as a sister, so it's her job to protect her and love her. Sure, if Rachel weren't bad news then she would be telling Quinn to go for it because they do look hot together, but she doesn't know what Rachel's capable of.
Quinn stared at Brittany in annoyance, she was starting to sound just like her dad and she didn't want to hear it coming from her. Rachel isn't some dangerous criminal that'll blow up a bank, she's just lonely and wants support for a better life. It's only been a few weeks that she's been seeing her and really doesn't know anything about her other than her dreams of going to New York. But she knows Rachel's not a bad person. Just troubled.
"Rachel where the hell have you been!" Santana snarled, gripping Rachel's arm and yanking her back in the house "You were supposed to be ready and packed an hour ago!"
"I had business to take care of. Besides," Rachel walked into her room and brought our her suitcase and her backpack filled with her art supplies "I was already packed."
"Jesus Rachel, you are just asking to get your ass kicked." Santana was never the type of person to get angry about being punctual, but she had zero tolerance about bailing on an event that has been planned a week ago.
"What about Puckerman? He's not even around."
"We missed our bus stop so he went to go borrow his his friend's taxi cab, he's taking this trip serious unlike someone.."
Rachel rolled her eyes and told Santana to shut it "I am taking this seriously."
Santana crossed her arms and forced a smile "Then what did you have to do to put our entire trip on hold?"
Rachel knew this was going to be a low blow and possibly the most sickest lie she's ever told, but if it'll get Santana off her back then so be it "I saw my mom, she was hauling a taxi and before I could get to her she took off," The hard look on Santana's face disappeared and showed sympathy "I tried to follow her, but it took a turn on the freeway."
Santana didn't know how to react, she's very clear about the situation between Rachel and her mother, so she couldn't blame Rachel for wanting to catch her. The Latina pulled Rachel in for a hug and apologized "I'm sorry you had to go thru that. Just next time call us so we could help."
If you thought Rachel was feeling bad when telling that lie, imagine how she feels at this moment when her best friend actually believed it. The hug was broken when a sound of a car horn rang from outside the apartment complex. Both girls grabbed their luggage and art supplies and met Puck who was waiting in the taxi cab.
Puck asked why Rachel didn't show and Santana had to explain the whole story which made Rachel's stomach churn uncomfortable. Hearing that story from someone else's mouth made her feel even more guilty than she already was. Puck patted her on the back and told her that everything will be okay. After putting the girl's things in the trunk, they drove off into the lonely road with Puck and Santana taking the front while Rachel sits in the back.
"Where are we going first?" Rachel asked while looking out the window and seeing the stars.
"Dayton then from there it's Cincinnati."
"Are we going to stay at a motel?"
Puck furrowed his brows, motels are there to steal your money just to sleep and shower. Why pay money that you can do something for free? "No motels, Rach. I got a place where we can stay at."
Rachel huffed and laid down on the seats, almost like a child that didn't get what they wanted "Wake me up when we get there." It's bad enough that she has to wait almost three hours to be in bed, but sleeping in the back of a cab thinking about Quinn is much worse. She's got to get that blonde out of her head soon or else it'll get messy.