AN - I've already started the 7th chapter because I just can't not.. Hope you guys enjoy. - R x

'Take a look at yourself in the mirror. Who do you see looking back? Is it the person you want to be? Or is there someone you were meant to be? The person you should have been but fell short of.

Is someone telling you, you can't or you won't? Because you can.

Believe that love is out there. Believe that dreams come true every day because they do. Sometimes happiness doesn't come from money or fame or power. Sometimes happiness comes from good friends and family and from the quiet nobility of leading a good life.
Believe that dreams come true every day because they do; so take a look in that mirror and remind yourself to be happy because you deserve to be. Believe that. And believe that dreams come true every day because they do'

It'd been two weeks since their first date, Two weeks of Quinn and Rachel, dating. She smiled, as she fixed her hair in the mirror as she finished practise, Quinn took in her appearance, Most people would say she was the meaning of the word gorgeous, flawless porcelain skin, hazel eyes, plump lips, blonde hair and an amazing figure to boot; but as she stared at herself she only felt ashamed, she was really trying to be a better person for Rachel's sake, to be seen around Rachel. Not that she was a complete jerk, but actually being in a relationship with someone, and that someone being a girl, was even harder for her. As she walked out into the crowded hallway Karfosky and Amzio eyed her up, Rachel was at her locker just a few paces, looking between the two Karfosky stopped in front of the blonde.
"What's up Fabray…?" Nodding at the boy Quinn continued in her paces walking towards Rachel, who'd seen the interacting between Quinn and the boys, and decided to walk off.
"Hey… Rach!" She called out running to catch up with the girl, once she'd reached her she smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind the girls' ear, as if to say she doesn't care who knew about them

Rachel blushed and bit her lip "Walk me to class?" she smiled at the blonde.
"Actually… I was thinking about cutting a little bit early…. Do you want to join me?" She wriggled her brows playfully.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah why not? My dad has a lake house up in St Mary's… If we go now it'll take 40 minutes tops… And its Friday… no school tomorrow…"
"I can't Quinn…" Rachel shook her head
"Okay…" Quinn frowned and hugged the brunette "Well I'll catch you later…"
After a moment Rachel shook her head, quickly chasing after the blonde "You know what… Catch me now…" she giggled as the blonde linked their fingers, pulling her to her truck.

After the short drive both girls were sat on the pier looking out at the lake, having parked the car, popping inside to grab a few beers and making their way straight outside, the clouds around them a dark grey.
"You know, they said there was a huge storm coming?" Rachel giggled, already slightly tipsy as she toppled into Quinn's side.
"I know, but… Like I said we can stay here…"
"Are you trying to get killed? What about your dad?"
"He's in Columbus… not that I care, like I said… We don't talk, even though I know what he's doing… You know?" She tilted her head as she smiled dopily at the brunette "I've never seen you like this…" She shook her head, laughing.
"Well… Now you have" Rachel mumbled as she inched closer pressing their lips together, just as the first few droplets of rain began crashing down onto the pier with a soft echo.
"Let's go inside… Get on my back"
Steadying herself, well trying, to she tried to jump onto Quinn "Okay... 1… 3…5" finally she'd manage to get on safely, both of them giggling as they made their way up the pier.
"Oh… fuck" Quinn mumbled as they began walking the stony path up to the house, Russell was stood there, with his arms crossed, looking furious "Nice knowing you…" Quinn mumbled as Rachel slid down the taller girls frame, buckling over her own feet as they touched the ground.

It was an instant moment, as both teens were being escorted; well Rachel was being dragged, by Russell to his car. Helping the brunette into the front seat he scowled, not saying a word until he'd gotten into the driver's seat, as he looked up through the rear view mirror he shook his head at Quinn.
"The state championship is next week, and this is how your training?!" He seethed, shaking his head as he reserved down the gravel driveway. The rain was now heavier, beating down on the car, with a sudden crack of thunder, causing Rachel to squeak. Russell glared at the girl beside him and Quinn spoke up "Can we do this later Russell?"
"There may not be a later for you..."
He increased the speed of the car.
"Please Mr Fabray, can you slow down…" Rachel groaned, a feeling stirring in her stomach.
"Was I talking to you?!" He snapped before trying to drive against the heavy rain, the car jerking in the pools of mud, Rachel's stomach clenching. "I am driving you both home, your mother is going to love this… Getting drunk on her watch… but then the apple doesn't fall to far from the…." He was cut short as Rachel threw up promptly in his lap.
"I am so sorry…" Rachel mumbled covering her mouth, Quinn trying to conceal a laugh.

They'd driven back to the lake house, so Russell could change, and by the time he'd finish yelling and changing it was way too dangerous to even attempt to drive back, meaning the couple would be stuck inside the house with him, for as long as the storm was wreaking havoc, across Ohio.

Rachel was upstairs sleeping off her, well whatever she was currently feeling and Quinn was attempting to write, but she couldn't, so instead she made her way down stairs to confront Russell.
"What is your problem?" She asked, standing tall, trying to be confrontational.
"My problem is that you don't seem to care about the title we have been building for you…"
"We…? We?!" Quinn tried to remain calm "You have done nothing since my tenth birthday when you ran off with that tattooed whore!" she scoffed. "I. have done all the hard training. Me. I'm the one organizing to have scouts for colleges to come and see me! Not you. What have you done apart from pay off my mom so that she doesn't rat you out to the cops…." She shrieked. "You act like you're here for me, but all you've done is bully me, and made soccer my life, soccer is not my life Russell. I am a person; I am a person with feelings and feelings for Rachel. And you need to understand that if you want to be in my life. I am sorry that we are here, disrupting you or whatever, but we are, and we will stay out of your way until we leave, I just hope you have enough respect for me, and dignity to do the same." She mustered up as much gusto as she could, remaining calm without breaking down, before walking off upstairs and slamming her door shut, breaking down the minute she sat on her bed.

Unsure of when it had happened, Quinn felt two small arms wrap around her as she was being pulling into Rachel's chest, both girls lying on the bed, Rachel's fingers softly threading through blonde locks in an attempt to calm her. Finally once she'd calmed she sat up and wiped her cheeks.
"Can we talk?" she whispered, locking eyes with sympathetic brown ones. Rachel nodded waiting for the blonde to continue "I've had a lot of fun with you lately, but I want to apologize to you, for two reasons" The brunette went to cut Quinn off but she shook her head "Firstly I want to apologize for dragging you out here and making you witness Satan on earth…" Rachel giggled.
"I had fun…."
"And secondly I want to apologize for not making this official, I like being with you, the real you, the one I've been all crushed out on, for months" She admitted "I don't want to see you change, I like you and I like the fact that somebody like you sees something in me, the real me…."
"Somebody like me? Or me?" Rachel teased lightly, leaning toward Quinn.
"You know the answer to that" Quinn whispered as she pressed their lips together. Rachel smiled into the kiss, nodding against the blonde, pulling her down on top of her. After the impromptu make out session, Rachel sat back up and looked at Quinn's desk.
"Quinn?" She asked and the blonde nodded, still very aroused by the past twenty minutes. "What are you writing…?" She already knew the answer, well kind of, because she'd obviously read some of it. Quinn sat up and flattened her hair, which was slightly static.
"It's… Well… Look... I'm going to be honest" she paused taking a deep breath "Firstly, Soccer is my life and I love it, but… I love to read, and to write, and well… It's the book I've been writing… and it's not ready, and even when it is ready, I'll need an impartial opinion…" She trailed off
"I can be impartial…" Rachel smiled softly but Quinn shook her head in disagreement.
"I don't think so…"
"Why..?"
"Well… because you're in it…"
Rachel sprung up to grab the book but Quinn was quicker, getting to the desk and picking up the black notepad slamming it shut and holding it to her chest.
"Give me that book. Right now" Rachel put her foot down playfully and pouted.
"Nope."
"Please"
Quinn shook her head "It's not ready..."
"Pretty please" Rachel batted her eyelashes and licked her lips "With… me on top?" she teased and Quinn took in a shaky breath "How about… I can show you what I wrote earlier, because… then you can be impartial?" She offered with a light shrug. Rachel nodded excitedly sitting back down on the bed as Quinn sat on her old desk chair, she faced the brunette, before looking down at her words, now feeling incredibly nervous, taking a deep breath she nodded to herself before reading out the words.
"I've learnt so much over the past four years of high school, Some facts that would take me through a day, or some that could last me an entire lifetime, but I remember something a teacher once said to me, on my very first day of freshman year, and I wrote it down; because for me, it was the best thing I'd ever heard, the most honest and truthful thing and that was…" Quinn paused to look at Rachel nervous, yet she didn't understand why, but when the brunette flashed her warm smile at the blonde encouraging her, she felt safe.
" 'At this moment, there are 6,470,818,671 people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day. Others are just now facing the truth. Some are evil men that war with good. And some are good, struggling with evil. 6 billion people in the world. 6 billion souls. And sometimes, all you need is one.' " She paused again taking a deep breath avoiding Rachel's gaze.
"I know the feeling, of only needing one soul, each soul being different, sometimes you need a friend, to help you through a difficult day, or a mother to hold you when things feel as if they are all going to crash down around you; but most times, the soul you need, is the soul that matches your own, the one that brings out the best in you; because that soul is your mate. Six billion souls, and if you find that one single mate, then you are lucky."
"That was beautiful Quinn" She smiled at Quinn "You're words are beautiful, they matter….it's what got me here" She repeated the same words Quinn said to her on the river court.
"Oh… Really?" Quinn quirked her brow.
"But then again… first of all, you don't know me…" Rachel smirked
"Oh. I think I do" Quinn teased moving over to the girl, leaning down to kiss her softly.

The weekend flew by, well as fast as it could, after been stuck in a lake house with the devil incarnate himself, Quinn was lucky to be driving home that evening, on the drive back, they realised the damage the storm had actually caused, many trees having been knocked over.
"Wow…" Quinn whispered as her phone began blaring out in the car "Could you answer that please?" she asked Rachel who nodded.
"Hello Santana, this is Rachel speaking…"
"Hello hobbit, is Quinn too busy to speak to me?"
"Erm, she's driving and since the road is still a tad slippery I don't think she can talk…"
"Put me on loudspeaker…" Santana demanded "Q? Cap? Can you hear me…."
"Firstly, don't speak to my girlfriend that way Lopez" Quinn replied shortly "Secondly how may I help you…." She quickly looked at Rachel who was bright red, they never actually discussed official titles or anything, but she thought after this weekend, and everything they would be.
"Hold up… Girlfriend?"
Quinn nodded before looking at Rachel "Well… I was hoping she'd say yes, but.." She trailed off and Rachel's blushed had darkened. "Well? What would say, be exclusive with me…" She slowed the car down in the slight traffic as they began nearing Lima.
"Yes… I'd like that…" Rachel nodded, smiling as Quinn quickly kissed her.
"Okay, Gross.. I need to go and throw up now" Santana gagged "Seriously Q… I have some bad news.. It's bad…" She sighed "State's been pushed back…."
"What?!" Quinn pulling away from the kiss, Rachel whimpering from the loss before realising what had been said, her hand finding Quinn's. "Why?" the captain demanded.
"Basically a few of the stadium lights got brought down across the pitch, they're going to have to a complete search for the glass and reset the lights which is going to take a few weeks." The Latina sighed and Quinn hit the steering wheel angrily "But we're ready now!" She sighed and began driving, speeding a little, Rachel sat their silently unsure of what to say.
"Look I gotta go, Britt's here… Time to get my own sweet lady kisses on" her smirk easily heard as she hung up. Quinn sighed frustrated, silent for a few minutes.
"I'm sorry Quinn…" Rachel mumbled quietly.
"It's not your fault Rach" she shook her head "We were just ready now, pumped. You know?" She sighed as she began driving the now familiar route to Rachel's house.

Once they arrived at the Berry residence, Rachel leaned over and pecked Quinn's cheek.
"Are you sure you don't want to come in and say hi to my dad's, they really like you Quinn" The brunette asked "Well… They like how happy you make me…" She replied as the blonde, hadn't officially met them yet but Quinn shook her head.
"I need to go talk to my mum and stuff, but soon, okay?" She smiled softly at the kiss "Bye Beautiful" She waved out of the window, watching as Rachel skipped up the path and into the house.

"Mom….?" Quinn called out into the dark house, but the soft glare that could only be coming from the television gave Quinn an idea of where the blonde woman was, asleep on the couch, a few empty bottles of wine scattered on the table.
"Like I said.. Mother.. Daughter… Tree.. Apple…" Russell laughed bitterly.
Quinn looked up as she heard his voice, sat in his old arm chair, the corner practically pitch black. He stood up, holding a tumbler of whiskey in his left hand.
"Get out." Quinn growled rooted to the spot, scared.
"Or what, this is my house, I paid for it…" He spat edging closer to Quinn.
Quinn wanted to move, to run, to scream, internally begging for her mom to wake up.
"She can't help you…" He laughed, now practically behind Quinn. "How dare you." He placed his hand on Quinn's shoulder, ghosting, barely there. A shiver shooting up Quinn's spine.
She tried not to reply, to not spur him on, but she couldn't help herself "How dare I what Russell?" She spat looking up at him, the anger in his eyes burning through her.
"Sin. You're a dirty, nasty sinner Lucy, I did not bring you up this way…"
"Sin? I'm in love…" She whispered, breaking eye contact.
"In love, with that girl" His face was red "That is not love, it's a dirty perverted obsession!" He yelled, Judy still not moving. Quinn felt the tears burning her eyes. Spilling down her cheeks. Hating herself for showing weakness.
"I hate you…." Quinn whispered "You're a prick, I wish I never knew you…"
"Oh you're going to regret saying that…" He yelled, raising his fist, but Quinn was quicker, sprinting toward the staircase, Russell hot on her tracks, she turned around once she was high enough on the stairs, her leg jetting outward, promptly kicking the man in the groin, smirking to herself for a moment as she watched him dropped she quickly turned back around to make her escape, but she was too slow, Russell grabbed her leg, it jerking from underneath her as she crashed down against the wooden steps. He stood up pained, stepping in front of her and booting her down the rest of the way. He spat on the floor beside her before walking outside, slamming the door behind him.
Crawling into the foetal position Quinn began crying. Shutting her eyes, letting the darkness sink in around her.

'As I lay there, unable to feel, the dark cold feeling inside of me growing, the hatred for this man I used to call Daddy… I could only ask myself one question… Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty, this hatred. How did it find us? Did it steal into our lives or did we seek it out and embrace it? What happened to us, when did we lose our way? Consumed by the shadows, swallowed whole by the darkness. Does this darkness have a name? Is it your name?'