Author's note:
Thank you guys so much for the reviews and follows for this story! You have no idea how much it means to me. As a present, here's a nice longer chapter for you guys.
Also, I forgot to mention last chapter, but I don't own any characters unless I make them up :)
MCLF: no this isn't a gp story, sorry :(
For anyone who thinks they know rachel's secret or anything feel free to tell me! I'd love to see what you guys think! Inbox me or even put it in the comment if you'd like :)
ENJOY!
Quinn made her way into school the next day glanced towards Berry's locker, she wasn't surprised when she caught no sight of the diva. After their…incident in the bathroom, Rachel had avoided her for the rest of the day. She noticed Finn making his way over with a big smile on his face and Quinn stopped to think about what could possibly make him so happy. His girlfriend is pregnant with his best friends baby, well, he doesn't know that part, and he is currently the loser of the school.
"Hey," he kissed her on the cheek and put his arm around her, "how's the baby?"
"Fine," Quinn answered harshly, then saw the hurt in the tall boys eyes and took a deep breath, "good actually, I haven't had morning sickness yet today." She added as happily as possible. This seemed to brighten up the boy's spirit.
"That's great! I'm so happy for you," he kissed her cheek again and she pulled away with a raised eyebrow.
"Why are you so…happy?"
"I've been waiting for you to ask," he told her as he took his arm off her shoulder and looked at her excitedly. "Well, I was practicing with Rachel this morning and-"
"Wait? You were practicing with Rachel?" She asked him angrily.
"Yes, remember? I told you about it yesterday?" she gave him an annoyed nod, "well I finally did it! I finally hit a high B!"
Quinn rolled her eyes, she did feel for the boy, he seems really excited about this and its good to be happy after you've accomplished something but she was still annoyed. "That's it?"
"Rachel said it will really help us during sectionals," he added happily and closed her locker for her as she took her books. "Anyway, I gotta go. It really sucks that we have no classes together."
"Yeah," she answered and gave him a small smile as he walked away. Truthfully, she was a little glad that she didn't share most of her classes with Finn, he would always copy her and it got annoying. She slowly made her way to English class. She was happy that she started with English three out of the five days every week, it got her brain in motion and is food for her grades.
She made her way into class and sat down in her usual spot in the back, not in the spot she was sitting in yesterday. Not because she didn't want to put Berry through torture again, but because she wanted to get started with class as quickly as possible.
When the brunette walked in, she noticed her seat empty and her eyes found Quinn's, Quinn didn't show any emotion on her face, she just stared at Berry and the smaller girl gave her a grateful smile before sitting down in the front.
When the teacher walked in, she also seemed relieved that the seating had gone back to normal and she started class with a smile.
After class, Quinn gathered her books and headed for the door when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and met the eyes of Rachel Berry.
"What Berry?"
"I just wanted to say thank you for letting me have my seat again, it was a really nice thing for you to do for me," she said with a smile.
Quinn scoffed, "don't flatter yourself Stubbles, I just wanted to start class a quickly as possible."
"Sure," Rachel said sarcastically and it annoyed Quinn to no end, "I also wanted to apologize about my tone in the bathroom the other day, it was uncalled for and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."
Quinn rolled her eyes, 'the nerve of this girl' "Would you get over yourself? You didn't hurt my feelings, my god do you think that much of yourself? Maybe when you stop being so selfish all the time people will actual want to be your friend." And with that she turned around, but not before catching a glimpse of how the diva's face fell and tears brimmed in her eyes.
That's all she thought about throughout the rest of the day that look. It somehow made her sick to her stomach; she even had to lean over the toilet a few times just by thinking about it. She'd never seen such a look in her life and she's not sure she ever wanted to again. Whenever she would slushie Rachel, or humiliate her, she wouldn't mind the look of embarrassment, or shock on the girls face, in fact it empowered her if anything, but that look she just caused made her feel like a murderer.
It was after school when she heard it, almost everyone was gone, she had only stayed to watch the cheerios perform like she always did, hoping that when this thing got out of her, she could pick up right where she left off and be on top again. She was walking passed the auditorium when she heard the voice of the one person who could sing like that and she found herself stopping to listen.
Step one, you say we need to talk
She walks you say sit down it's just a talk
She smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As she goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Quinn knows this song, and she noticed how Rachel replaced the 'him's and 'he's to 'her's and she's' Quinn actually likes the female version the bunette has put to the song but it sounds very depressing.
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Quinn wondered who she's singing about and why she's singing about them and slowly stepped more into the room without realizing.
Let her know that you know best
'Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past her defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told her all along
And pray to God she hears you
And I pray to God she hears you
Quinn walked more and more until she was facing the brunettes back as she listened.
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
The small girl trailed off and the blond made the mistake of exhaling and Rachel turned around quickly as she wiped the fallen tears from her eyes.
"Did you need something Quinn?"
"Why were you singing that?"
"I like singing."
"Why were you singing THAT?"
"That isn't of your concern Quinn." The brunette gathered her sheet music, "now if you didn't need anything, I'll be on my way." And Quinn watched her leave, wondering what life Rachel wanted to save.
Quinn walked into school tiredly. She got no sleep last night. And that may or may not be because she spent all night listening to 'How to Save a Life' as she tried to figure out who Rachel was talking about. It may seem like she's obsessing, but she isn't, at least that's what she keeps telling herself. She's just curious, it's not a crime to be curious, in fact, it's completely normal.
She slowly made it to her locker and fiddled with it until it finally opened. She grabbed her science books and closed the locker again. She unintentionally glanced towards Rachel's locker and to her surprise she did not see the small starlet. She sighed and turned around to be met with a brunette she did not want to see.
"Tubbers."
"What do you want Santana?"
The Latina took a step towards her with a small smirk, "spare me the attitude preggers, I'm head cheerio now and you're at the bottom of the social ladder. Her smirk grew, "all because you became a little whore and got pregnant."
"Shut up," Quinn glared at her, "I thought you were my friend."
Santana laughed, a cold hard laugh, "that was when you were head cheerio, you were in control and I had to follow you around like a puppy dog. But now you're just a whore, miss Celibacy Club."
"Don't talk to me about being a whore S," she dragged out the nickname just to tease the brunette, "you're one to talk, is it Puck or Brittany that you're having sex with this week?" the Latina glared a her, "or is it both?" Santana looked away and the blond smirked, "and you have the nerve to call me a whore."
That was it, Quinn knew she had made a mistake when Santana lunged at her, ready to smack her hard, Quinn's hazel eyes filled with worry and she put her hands over her baby bump by pure reflex. Before she could register anything, She saw Santana being pushed backwards, her back hitting the lockers and Rachel making her way over to the taller brunette.
"Don't. Touch. Her." Quinn had never heard so much venom in Rachel Berry's voice and it sent shivers down her spine.
"Stay out of this RuPaul," Santana hissed, trying to push Rachel out of the way, but Rachel stayed put.
"No."
"I'm warning you Stubbles, move or I'll move you." Quinn watched the two, as a crowed began to form around the three of them.
"Oh, get over yourself Santana," Rachel said angrily, "stop hurting people because of your insecurities."
Quinn once again saw the taller brunette lunge forward, but not at her, at Rachel. She lifted her hand and slapped the diva, making her stumble backwards on impact. Several gasps were heard, and even some laughs. Santana pushed the small girl into the lockers, hard and Rachel hissed in pain.
"Don't talk to me like that Berry," she said coldly, "what are you doing defending Tubbers over here anyway? Are you the father of her baby?" she laughed, "wouldn't surprise me, Manhands."
Quinn was furious, and wanted to step in, but she knew she would just make things worse.
"Don't want your baby to get hurt do you Berry?" Santana growled and the smaller brunette jumped forward, sending both her and the Latina to the ground, they rolled around on the floor, pulling at each others hair and scratching each other with their manicured nails. It was only when Santana landed a punch in Rachel's gut, that Quinn had enough.
"STOP!" she yelled desperately, but they didn't listen, Santana landed another punch only this time, hitting her in the cheek were a welt had developed from the previous slap.
Luckily, Puck and Finn made it past the crowed and Puck grabbed Santana, pulling her off of the diva, while Finn did the same thing with Rachel.
Rachel shrank into Finns arms while Santana tried to get out of Puck's grip, "let go of me Puck, let me show Treasure Trail not to mess with me."
"Shut up Santana," Puck growled and picked her up, leaving the hallway with her to go god knows where. The crowed went back to their business, as the excitement was ended when the fight did.
"Rachel, are you ok?" Finn asked worriedly, Rachel nodded slowly but she wasn't ok. Quinn took a good look at her, her cheek was swollen and red from blood while a black eye was forming above it, there were several scratch marks on her face and arms, and that punch in the gut couldn't have felt too great.
"What happened?" Finn asked the brunette in his arms, tears started filling her brown orbs and she glanced quickly at the blond ex-cheerio before turning back to the tall boy and just shaking her head.
"Let's get you to the nurse," Finn said, dismissing the first question. Quinn stepped forward.
"I'll take her," she volunteered, she felt bad for the diva and she wanted to know why she protected the girl who tortures her on a daily basis.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Finn asked, torn.
"I can handle this Finn," Quinn told him, "go help Puck with Santana." Finn nodded dejectedly and whispered something in Rachel's ear, which annoyed the heck out of the blond, before leaving.
Quinn waited until he turned the corner before turning to the small girl, "let's get you to the nurse Berry," Rachel nodded slowly and Quinn helped her get to the nurses office where the old lady washed the cuts and bandaged her cheek and arms.
"You might want to go to Figgins about this dear, someone must have done this to you," the nurse told the diva as she handed her some ice.
"I fell," Rachel said defensively and the nurse shook her head before leaving to call Rachel's dads.
Once they were alone, Quinn got up from her seat in one of the chairs, "why'd you do that?" Rachel just shrugged, "don't give me that? Why'd you defend me? Again." She thought back to the slushie incident.
"You're pregnant Quinn," Rachel explained simply, "she was going to hit you, you can't hit a pregnant girl. And no one looked like they were going to do anything about it so I stepped in."
"Why though? If I were you, I'd be happy to see me get hurt, you hate me."
"I don't hate you Quinn, and I surely have nothing against your unborn child," Rachel said as she placed the ice against her eye.
Quinn was surprised that Rachel didn't hate her, she would hate the person who tormented her for so long. Quinn always thought of Rachel as someone she hates but Rachel's making it harder to hate her by doing all these nice things. That's when Quinn stopped to think for a second. Why does she need to hate Berry? It was just a thing with them before, head cheerleader hating the loser diva, but now, she's not head cheerleader; she's the pregnant girl, the social outcast, just like Rachel.
"Thank you," Quinn manages to breath out, Rachel's head snapped up, and she gave the blond a small smile.
"Rachey!" Quinn heard as a small, bald man entered the room, his face full of worry as he pulled his daughter into a gentle hug. He was followed by a tall, black man, who also looked worried, but also angry.
"Who did this to you?" he asked his daughter and Quinn looked at the ground.
"No one dad, I fell." Rachel explained and both of her dad's didn't look the least bit convinced.
"Don't lie to us, Rachel," the dark man said sternly.
"Rachy, who did this to you? Was it because of us? Because we have to contact the ACLU about this bullying," the small one added in one breath and Quinn realized where Rachel's rambling came from.
"Daddy, there is no need for that, I'm fine and no one did this to me, I fell, I just want to go home and rest before my head falls off.
The small man smiled sadly and helped Rachel off the nurses' table before leading her to the door, she turned her head to look at the blond, who hadn't moved or said a word since the two men walked in.
"You should go back to class Quinn, thank you for bringing me here," Quinn gave a small nod and watched the three Berry's leave before heading to science class, determined to not hate Rachel anymore.
What am I doing here?' Quinn asked herself for the fifth time, as she stood in front of Rachel's house. She'd been standing here for the past five minutes, holding some vegan cookies, arranged on a small plate. She had gone over to Finn's today after school and his mom had helped her make them because Quinn told her about what happened to Rachel to which Mrs. Hudson asked "Is that the sweet, beautiful, brunette, with the amazing voice Finn is always talking about?" yeah, that didn't annoy Quinn at all.
So here she is, debating whether or not to ring the doorbell, trying to figure out how to apologize to the girl she has been torturing for years but at the same time, thanking her for saving her ass on more than one occasion.
'Ok, I can't do this' Quinn shook her head and started to descend the front steps.
"Excuse me?" Quinn whipped her head around and is met with the face of the short white man with glasses that she had seen in the nurses office just hours before.
"I'm sorry," Quinn said quickly. Surely he must recognize her, Rachel must have told her dads everything about the evil, bitchy and manipulative, Quinn Fabray. "I was just leaving."
"You've been standing outside this door for the past 6 minutes and 23 seconds, surely you must have a reason for coming here." Suddenly, Quinn knows where Rachel get's her 'diva' attitude from. "Wait, I know you."
Quinn's face paled and her eyes widened, he recognized her! He's going to call the cops! Forget the cops, he's going to kill her right here, on his doorstep and blame it on 'diva daddy revenge'.
"Mr. Berry I-" she was cut off.
"You were in the nurses office with Rachel," Quinn exhaled and calmed down.
"Yeah, that was me."
"Thank you for taking her there, we do appreciate it," he leaned in a bit closer, "listen, do you know who did this to her? She keeps on saying she 'fell' but my husband and I know it's a lie. So please, if you do know, please tell us."
Quinn really did feel for the man standing before her, he is just worried about his daughter and for some reason naïve about the way she is treated at school. Then again, Rachel seemed to not want her fathers to know about what happened and ratting her out would not be the best way to start a friendship.
"I'm sorry Mr. Berry, but I only know what you do. When I got to Rachel, she just told me that she fell and I brought her to the nurse." Quinn lied.
The man let out a sad smile, "well thank you anyway…"
"Quinn," she piped in, "Quinn Fabray." Surely he must recognize her name from when Rachel would talk about her and realize what a bitch he is talking to.
"Ok Quinn Fabray, well, first of all, call me Hiram, and second of all, you must be freezing, come on in." he smiled and ushered her into the door. Quinn was still surprised that he did not know who she was. Had Rachel not told them anything?
"Rachel is upstairs, she wasn't sleeping when I last checked on her so you could go right on up," he gestured to the stairs.
"Thank you Mr. uh…Hiram," she smiled again before heading up the stairs. She found Rachel's room easily, it was not surprisingly, the door with the big gold star on the front.
She knocked quietly on the door, when she didn't receive an answer, she knocked a little louder, still, silence. "Rachel! Hello?" Quinn came to the conclusion that she must be either sleeping or in the bathroom. She decided to still leave the cookies on her desk, maybe with a little note or something.
She opened the door slowly to see the room empty, so the blond concluded that the small girl must be in the bathroom. The blond took a look around the sunny, yellow room as she debated whether or not to wait for Rachel to finish. Could she really face her? With the shake of her head, Quinn placed the plate of cookies on the small desk and looked around for a piece of paper and a pen.
Hesitantly, she began opening some of the dresser drawers to find something to write on and with, but came across something odd in the bottom drawer. There, sitting before her, where dozens and dozens of pregnancy books, with the usual topics, different trimesters, breathing exercises, baby names, dangerous foods, etc…
Without thinking, she took out the 'Baby Girl Names' book and began flipping through it. She didn't even know why she was doing this, she wasn't even keeping the baby, but she found herself curious.
She found a few of them highlighted: Jasmine, Rose, Joy, Amber… And she wondered what reason Rachel would have for looking through baby names. Sabrina, Jessica, Lauren…
"What are you doing?"
Quinn looked up and was met with the angry eyes of Rachel Berry, she quickly placed the book back in the drawer and closed it, she got up from the bed and flattened out her dress nervously. "I umm…brought you some cookies but you were in the bathroom so I thought I would leave them here with a note so I was looking for a pen and paper when I found all these books and I just started reading the girl names. I don't know why, I just was curious." She said in one breath.
Rachel was quiet for a long time, and Quinn began to worry, then, she saw Rachel bite her lip and look to the floor.
"It's a girl?" The question definitely surprised Quinn. Rachel had just seen her snooping through her stuff and she wanted to know the sex of the baby?
"Yeah…it is." Quinn responded and then paused before asking, "why do you have all these bo-"
"I like to know my fair share about everything Quinn, so yes, I have done my research in babies," the brunette interrupts.
"But why are some of them highlighted?"
Rachel sighed, "if you must know, those are the names I like and would like to consider for the future."
Quinn didn't quite believe the diva but Rachel didn't look like she wanted to talk about this any longer and the last thing Quinn wanted to do was start a fight so she just dropped it. "So… How are you feeling? I mean…your face and stuff?"
"I'm feeling much better, thank you." She sat down on the bed, "may I ask why you are here? You don't expect me to believe you just wanted to bring me cookies right?"
"I umm, wanted to say thank you for saving my ass..again. I also wanted to apologize for everything I've done to you over the years, I was stupid and horrible and you didn't deserve it." Quinn felt good getting that off her chest.
"You're right, I didn't," Rachel said simply.
"And that's why I'm sorry. I hoped maybe we could get passed this and be…friends?" Quinn bit her lip nervously, awaiting the smaller girls answer.
"I don't trust you yet Quinn, I can honestly say that is for sure," Quinn's face fell, "but I'm sure we can work up some sort of friendship if you prove yourself to be worthy."
"That's all I ask," Quinn grabbed the plate of cookies and help them out hesitantly, "here."
"Are these-"
"They're vegan," Quinn interrupted, Rachel's eyes widened and Quinn realized how creepy it was to know that. Rachel had never mentioned it to her and Quinn wasn't even sure how she knew it. "Finn told me you were vegan," she added to save herself. A smile broke out on the brunettes face.
"Well tell Finn I said thank you, and thank you for making them and bringing them to me."
Quinn nodded and an awkward silence filled the room, "so umm…I'd better go."
"Would you like to stay for dinner? My dad's wouldn't mind, they always make extra," Rachel offered quietly.
Quinn wanted to stay, more than anything, and was just about to say yes when she remembered that her dad had a business dinner tonight and needed her there to show off his 'perfect daughter'
"I really would love to Rachel but my dad's having a special business dinner and I kinda need to be there," she saw the disappointment in the other girls eyes so quickly added, "rain check?"
Rachel nodded with a smile and got from the bed to walk Quinn down the stairs and to the front door.
"Well," Quinn stood awkwardly, "see you tomorrow?"
"See you tomorrow," Rachel confirmed and with a small wave, Quinn left the Berry household.
Let me know what you guys think!
REVIEW PLEASE! :)