A/N: I know, I know. I'm so sorry for the lack of updating my stories. School has been so crazy this semester, Math is kicking my ass, and Creative Writing is taking a lot of my fanfic writing time away. Anyway, I apologize for not updating like anything. Hopefully that's going to change soon! Anyway, here's the next chapter! Enjoy! :)
The following days passed by slowly for Quinn. Her back felt like it was on fire with every movement she made and as much as the medicine that Leroy gave her help with the healing process, it didn't do much for the pain. As the days passed, Quinn found herself praying for any word from Rachel, telling her that she didn't love Finn, only Quinn, always Quinn. But as the days passed with no word, she began to lose hope that she'd ever get it.
A couple weeks passed by and Quinn was finally back on her feet. The scars on her back were nothing more than thick lines across her back. They still ached painfully every now and then, but nothing she wasn't already used to. Standing in the middle of the room, she shrugged on her shirt and hopped into her brown trousers. She laced up her boots and then stared at herself in her reflected. Her long yellow hair resting over her right shoulder, shaking her head she grabbed the nearest knife and cut through the long locks. Her hair fell to the floor around her and her now short hair rested right above her shoulders. Grabbing her sword she made her way out the door and towards the forge.
Upon arriving, she saw Mike and Will working away at the steels, shaping and wielding them. Sneaking up behind Mike, she pinched his sides causing him to jump and release a whelp. Whipping around Mike's face lit up when his eyes landed on Quinn. "Quinn!" He exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her and spun her around.
"Put me down, Michael," she laughed.
Putting her back down, he smiled at her and ruffled her new short hair. "I like the new look. It makes you seem fierce."
"Shut up, I've always been fierce."
"Whatever you say Quinnie." He rolled his eyes at her with a playful smirk.
Her glance fell over to Will as he stood there watching the two interact. Walking over to him, she played with the hem of her shirt and looked up at him cautiously. Ever since that day in the square he had been keeping busy with work and hardly said anything to her, either he was too busy or she was fast asleep. Now as they stood face to face, she waited for him to make a move. Placing the hammer on the anvil beside the piece of steel he was working on, he reached up and caressed the blonde's face; his rough calloused hands against her milky skin in a tender manner. He then pulled her in for a hug.
They hugged for a few seconds before they pulled apart and Will asked, "How are you feeling kiddo?"
"Like I've been asleep for ages. Have you heard anything regarding Rachel?"
He shook his head and said, "I don't think you should hold your breath for word from Rachel, Quinn."
She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why not? She loves me; I know that much is true. And I love her so there's no chance of me giving up on us. I don't care if it kills me, I'll go out fighting." With that she left and went out back to the stables where she began saddling her horse.
With her horse saddled and ready to go, she grabbed her cloak then began to gallop through the town and towards the castle, without looking back. Lucy Quinn Fabray wasn't going down without a fight, law be damned.
Making her way up the castle's pathway, she slowed down the horse when she saw Sam signing a document for some supplies. Dismounting her horse she waited until the supplier left and Sam was alone. Their eyes locked and Sam ran a nervous hand through his blonde locks. Walking over to her, he shook his head. "Quinn, you can't be here."
"I know I shouldn't be but I have to see her, Sam. I love her and I need her to at least know that hasn't changed before she marries that idiot. Please?" Sighing he nodded and took her horse's reins from her so she could go find Rachel.
"Just be careful, Quinn. And hurry, I don't want the King to find out that you're here." Nodding, Quinn placed a kiss on his cheek and entered the castle's main grounds.
Looking around, Quinn quietly and quickly made her way around the castle to Rachel's room. Finding the curtains open she bent down and pick up a pebble to throw through the window. After all, Rachel and/or Santana had to be in there at this time of day. Rachel would usually be reading some book King Hiram told her to read. Her suspicions were correct after she threw three pebbles through the window. Rachel stuck her head out of the window, looking to scold the person who was throwing rock through her window. But upon seeing Quinn's face, her features softened and she looked ready to throw herself out the window just to be in Quinn's arms.
"What are you doing here, Quinn? You can't be here." Rachel whispered.
"Meet me in the barn, like we used to? I want to talk to you." Quinn urged the princess. "Please?" She added when she saw hesitancy. Rachel nodded, and Quinn headed to the barn where she waited for the brunette.
Sitting the hay loft of the barn, Quinn breathed in its familiar scent and basked in the sunlight streaming from the roof. The sound of the clanking mental in the not far distance calms her nerves. Then before she knew it, she heard footsteps climbing the ladder and Rachel stood there before her. She was dressed in a simple green dress with gold trimming and her soft brown hair rested over her shoulders, shining in the sunlight. Climbing to her feet, Quinn took a moment to memorize every inch of Rachel's face. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours, when in reality it was only a couple of seconds. Then Rachel's angelic voice broke the silence, "Quinn, what are you doing here?"
"I need to know that you still love me, and that you aren't going to go through with this wedding." Quinn's eyes searched for any sign that she wasn't in Rachel's chocolate irises.
Rachel broke eye contact and looked at her feet, contemplating what to say to the blacksmith. She knew she had to tell the girl the truth, that she still loved her and always will but she couldn't marry her. And knowing what she has to do, breaks her heart. Just being here with the blonde again breaks her heart into a million pieces. Gently, she took the blonde's soft yet calloused hands into her own and looked back up at the waiting blonde. It was then that she noticed her hair was shorter. "You cut your hair. I like it," the princess mused. Running her thumbs over the back of Quinn's hands, she tried to hold back the tears that were starting to make their way to the surface. "I do love you, Quinn. I probably always will, but like my father said… we can't be together. I'm marrying Finn. I promised I would a long time ago…"
"Why didn't you ever tell me? We've been together for a month, a whole month and you never said anything! Not a fucking word! Why didn't you?" Quinn demanded removing her hands from Rachel's grasp. "Did you not care for how this was going to affect me?"
"I was scared. No one has ever made me feel the way you make me feel. There's never been someone like you in my life. I didn't want to lose you."
"You wouldn't have lost me, Rachel. I would've still been your friend. I can't even remember my life before you entered it. But now all I need to know is if you could choose who would you choose? Me or Finn? My love or Finn's?" Caressing her cheek, Quinn swept away the tear that escaped. "Rachel?"
Rachel stared into her hazel eyes and saw every speck of vulnerability in those striking eyes, before she answered with every ounce of sincerity in her voice.
A/N: dun dun dunnnnn! cliffhanger I know. Who's she going to pick? Thoughts? Review! :)