It's a fraction of a hope but it's hard to control
When Quinn stepped out of the terminal, and into baggage claim, she scanned the crowd of people waiting for their loved ones, drivers holding signs with people's last names on it, looking for her mom. As directed she was wearing a dress. A nice one, a medium length navy blue dress, one that she had gotten for press junkets and interviews to promote her books. Her publicist, and good friend Charlotte was constantly helping her shop for "real clothes" as she liked to put it. Sometimes it was so easy to fall into the comfort of her rural life, and worn out jeans, and forget how to dress like a successful author.
She spotted her mom, who was still looking around in search of her. Quinn swiftly made her way over to the older blond, her carry on luggage dragging behind her.
"Mom." Quinn said, tapping her on the shoulder.
Judy turned around, happiness washing over her features "Oh Quinnie, you look great! How was your flight? Was it long? is that all your luggage?"
"Its good to see you too mom" Quinn laughed and hugged her. "The flight was good, I actually have a bag to pick up at baggage claim"
The two women made their way over to the luggage carousel, and continued to chat about the flight, and the weather.
Quinn reached down and plucked a large black suitcase from the bunch
"My goodness, that is huge, you don't have one of your farm animals in there do you?" Judy joked.
"I decided to extend my stay past the weekend, I thought it would be a nice surprise."
"That's a great surprise! How long will you be staying?"
"For the week, you were right it has been a long time since I have been home, and since I can take my work pretty much anywhere, I thought it would be nice to spend some more time with you"
Judy was glowing, she could not have thought of a better surprise.
"That is truly wonderful, I am so excited!" she gushed "Oh! We are going to have so much fun. I'll take you shopping. That dress is lovely, Charlotte did a good job picking it out"
"Thanks mom, I'll let her know you said so" Quinn said, already dreading the shopping trip with her mother.
The car ride to Quinn's mother's house was filled with Judy planning thier week together, tea and bridge with the ladies at the club, shopping, manicures, Then it happened, Quinn had been expecting it, Judy asked the question...
"Soooo any hope of you and Charlotte getting back together?"
"Mom! that was four years ago.."
"I know honey, but you guys are so close still, and I just thought, well, I'm not really sure how a lesbianic relationship works"
Quinn was happy her mother was so accepting of her orientation, and it was endearing to listen to her mother make up words like lesbianic, but this was just getting awkward.
"We are just really great friends, and plus she is seeing some one"
"I see, well sure you are a much prettier than this new girl"
Quinn tried to supress a chuckle "thanks mom"
A thought popped into her mind, as it usually did when she talked about her love life. "Have you heard anything about the reunion? Like, do you know who will be there?"
she asked her mother, trying not to come right out and ask if she had heard if Rachel Berry would attend.
"Well, lets see. Noah Puckerman will be there, he has his pool cleaning business in town still. I'm not really sure about the other members of your glee club. Oh! wait I did hear that the Broadway star Rachel Berry will be there. You two were so close senior year, do you still talk to her?"
"No, I haven't since graduation, actually." Quinn said in a low voice.
"Honey, was Rachel one of your...'friends'... you know like were you two u-haul-ing it?" Judy asked, and Quinn whipped her head around to stare at her incredously.
"Mom! do you even know what u-hauling is?"
"I'm assuming its something lesbians do, i heard it on the L-Word" Judy said proudly "Is that not the right term for lesbosexual relations?"
dear lord, please let this conversation end Quinn thought
"Maybe it isn't too late to change my flight back"
The older blond gave her a look of mock hurt, "you will do no such thing, and don't think that I didn't notice that you didn't answer my question. That is fine though, I'll butt out"
Rachel stood in her old room, it was unchanged, and still looked like Polly pocket exploded it in. It was funny how it had been five years, and her style had changed so drastically, this room was a far cry from her modern east side loft in Manhattan.
She dropped her bags by the bed and headed to her dresser running her hand across the vanity table, letting it stop infront of some picture frames. She picked one up, it was her favorite picture of her and Quinn. It was right after they had won nationals thier senior year:
"We did it Rach!" Quinn yelled engulfing the brunette into a hug. Everyone around them was going crazy with excitement
"You were really great Q, I'm so happy we won!" The two were now jumping up and down and laughing.
*click*
She couldn't help but smile looking back on that day. She couldn't help but smile every time she thought about Quinn, and senior year. Things had been perfect, ok maybe not perfect, but exhilarating. Then it ended as abruptly as it began. Her and Quinn's romance had died the day of graduation...
Rachel was pulled from her thoughts by a knock on her bedroom door
"Ready for dinner kiddo?"
"Yeah, are we going out?"
"Yes, your Dad tried to make dinner again tonight, love his little rachel ray wannabe heart. Long story short, we need a new microwave, and we're going to Breadsticks tonight"
"Sounds good" Rachel said laughing, she put down the picture and headed out with her fathers.
Breadsticks was crowded.
"Everyone must have gotten in for the reunion tonight, this place is packed" Rachel said, looking around for a familiar face.
That's when she spotted two women sitting at a booth. The one facing her was Santana, and she was sitting with a blonde woman who had her back to Rachel. She knew it probably wasn't Quinn, but her breath still caught in her chest, her stomach still got butterflies, and it was only a fraction of hope, but she couldn't control it.
Just then Santana looked up and spotted her, a warm smile spreading across her face, she waved Rachel over.
"Excuse me for a second" she said to her fathers and headed over to the table.
As she got closer to the table, Santana stood up "Rachel, Rachel, its so good to see you" she said giving her a short hug. She hadn't dared looked at the blond woman yet but felt her stand up behind her.
"Hi Rachel" she heard and turned around to find Britney waiting for a hug as well.
"Its so good to see you two" Rachel said finally letting go of the breath she had been holding. Relief and disappointment flooded her.
"Can you join us? Quinn should be here soon, I'm sure she'd love to see you too" Santana said in a mischievous way.
Rachel was almost knocked over by the rush of emotions returning to her at the mention of Quinn's name.
"I'd really love to, but I just got here with my fathers." she said "maybe we can all get together later?"
"Absolutely, we are all going to be meeting at the bar on main street tonight. around 9. meet us there"
"Okay, yeah that sounds great."
Rachel headed back towards the table her father's were now sitting at. Thankfully it was on the other side of the restuarant, but she still had a good view of the table that Santana and Britney were at.
Through out dinner she peeked over to see if Quinn had arrived, and when she saw the blonde woman enter, she was stunned. Quinn looked so mature, so beautiful, the photo on the back of her book did her no justice. Rachel felt herself staring and when she saw Quinn turn her head in her direction she panicked and ducked under the table.
Oh no, please don't let her have seen me. I am so not ready. I'm still in my travel clothes.
"um honey..." her Dad said with concern in his voice "is there... is there a reason you are under the table?"
"no...no..I dropped my fork" she said re-emerging to the top. glancing back at the table of girls to make sure Quinn wasn't looking.
I need to look good tonight, no I need to look fantastic.
Dinner ended without Rachel being spotted, and she urged her father to hurry home so she could get ready.
After just missing Rachel at Breadsticks, Quinn was excited to hear that she would be coming out to meet them at the bar. She sat and waited with Santana while Britney went to dance with Kurt who had also met up with them.
"So farm girl, how is life on the ranch?" Santana asked Quinn in a joking manner
"It's very peaceful, great for writing. I have a lot of time to think"
"You wouldn't happen to be thinking about a certain Broadway Diva would you?"
Quinn couldn't hide much from Santana, after all these years she could still read her like a book.
"What tipped you off?" she asked
"honestly, your books. I mean the main character is definitely based on Berry, and the different love interests you keep setting her up with are just different versions of you."
"Oh man, is it that obvious?" Quinn was humiliated
"No, but when you have a masters in English and Literature, you tend to look more deeply than most people" Santana said
"I keep forgetting you're an English teacher now" Quinn said a little more relieved.
"Besides. You should have seen her face when I said you were coming. She looked like she was going to pass out." the dark hair girl laughed. "After all these years you two still have it bad for each other.
"We were only together one time. I'm sure she doesn't even think of me anymore. We never even officially dated. Just one drunken night..." Quinn's voice became sad.
"I guess we'll find out for sure, because she just walked in" Santana said pointing in the direction the stunning brunette, wearing a tight black dress, her hair flowing past her shoulders.
It took what seemed like forever for Rachel to make it over to where the other two girls were standing.
"Hello Quinn" she said keeping her arms pressed against herself
"Rachel, you look amazing." Quinn said, and before she knew what she was doing, she had put her arms around the girl.
Rachel sank into the embrace and wrapped her own arms around the blond. "It is so good to see you" she sighed.
The night went on, the girls drank and laughed, soaking up each other's presence. Kurt and Britney had joined them at the table, and the five friends talked about everything from Glee club, to who they wanted to see at the reunion. The night carried on with light hearted banter and conversation. Quinn and Rachel stole glances at one another as often as they could.
"it's getting late" Kurt said, I better be getting back to my dad's place. Anyone want to share a cab?"
"Brit and I are staying at the Comfort Inn down the street, we're just going to walk" Santana said
"I'm still okay to drive" Quinn said "I can drive you, if you want" she offered
"No thanks, I'm a bit out of your way I think" I'll see you ladies at the reunion tomorrow"
With that Kurt was gone, and Santana and Britney left right behind him.
Rachel was glad that she was alone with Quinn now, she had waited all these years for a chance to really talk to her, and this was the time.
"Do you want to maybe go somewhere that isn't as loud?" She asked the blond.
"Yeah, definitely" Quinn smiled
The two made it out of the bar and into Quinn's car. "I think I know just the place we can go" she said to Rachel, and within five minutes they were pulling into the parking lot of the High School.
"come on!" Quinn called as she ran up to the doors. Rachel followed her
"Quinn, I don't think it's going to be unlocked..." and as she was saying Quinn effortlessly pulled the door open.
"Show off!" Rachel said pushing the blond girl.
"yeah, yeah, lets go" Quinn grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the halls until they came to the auditorium.
"Wow, this brings back some memories" Rachel said letting her hand sweep across the piano that laid in the middle of the stage.
"Sure does" Quinn took a seat a the keys, mindlessly stroking them "I've missed you"
There were the butterflies again, Rachel thought, "I've missed you too" her voice was heavy with emotion. Maybe it was the few drinks she had, but she was on the verge of tears. "I don't... I don't want to ask and ruin the fun we're having... but..."
Quinn didn't need her to actually ask the question, she knew where this was going. "I'm sorry, I was so dumb, and scared. I should have never just left like that, without giving you some kind of explanation" Quinn stood up from the piano took Rachel's hand in hers. "I just didn't know what to do, we had drank so much that night, and I had wanted it for so long before that, I was scared you would have regretted it in the morning, so I left and pretended it didn't happen at all." Rachel nodded, that night had been so confusing for her too. Quinn placed her hand beneath the brunette's chin, and lifted it so their eyes were meeting.
"I know you must hate me for it, but I am truly sorry" Rachel pulled her hand out of Quinn's and started to walk away. Quinn could feel her heart aching with each step the brunette took.
Rachel stopped walking but didn't turn around. "Quinn, I was scared too." with that admission she turned around to face the blond. "I wouldn't have left you to wake up alone though. God. If you even knew how badly I had wanted you, how long I had waited for that night to finally happen for us."
Quinn was in shock, she always thought that her feelings were unreturned, and that their night together was just a drunken mistake for the brunette. "Rachel, I..."
"No, Quinn, I love you... I mean... I ... I was in love with you" Rachel caught herself, not wanting Quinn to know she still had feelings for her after all these years.
This part hit Quinn in the chest like a knife. All this time she thought she was tortured by loving someone who could never love her back, but she was just running scared from someone who loved her back. Loved her the same way she did.
"You love me?" is all Quinn could manage to get out
"