Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or its characters.

A/N: The reviews you have left me are absolutely phenomenal. I read every single one of them, and I apologize that I can't reply to them all. I just want to let you all know that the reviews are so heartwarming and sweet, and they give me the motivation I need everyday to look forward to continuing this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I like the ending better than the beginning. Enjoy, loves! Currently unbeated, all mistakes are mine.

"You have got to be kidding, Q."

Santana was leaning against the passenger door of her black 2008 Honda Civic giving Quinn an incredulous stare.

"What?" Quinn replied to Santana as she made her way down her sidewalk to Santana and Brittany.

"What? What? Quinn, look at you!"

Said blonde looked down and took in her attire. She was wearing ash gray chukka ankle boots, black skinny jeans, an oversized sweatshirt with mickey mouse on it, a light blue infinity scarf ("for a pop of color"), and lastly a grayish-white knit beanie. She thought she looked pretty cute.

"What's wrong? I look cute."

Santana scoffed, "Okay, Q, I'm only saying this because even though I call you names and shit I do actually give a damn, and I have to be honest with you; you look like one of those girls addicted to Starbucks, blogging, and photography. I total hipster. Q, it's like the end of April and it's like you're dressed for November."

"I do like those things… what's wrong with that…?"

"San, be nice. I think she looks hot." Brittany happily bounded over to Quinn and threw her arms around her neck.

"Hell yeah, I look hot. I bet Rachel would like it."

"Q, you look great. Don't listen to San, she's just mad because she remembered we had agreed to go to the mall right when we were about to have sexy time."

Quinn blushed as Brittany's honesty and smiled at the girl, "Oh, I'm sorry for impeding on that. I'm sure San would much rather be seeing you naked right now than me and my chukka boots."

"No, she doesn't mind, do you San?"

The brunette just muttered and turned to walk around to the drivers side, "We better get there before they close. At this rate we'll get there a nine tomorrow."

Brittany winked at Quinn, causing her to chuckle as they both climbed into the starting car.

The three girls laughed and smiled their way into the mall's food court once they had arrived. It had seemed like forever since the Unholy Trinity had actually hung out together, and they were enjoying every second they had.

Though Quinn wasn't on the Cheerios anymore and didn't have to constrain herself to the absurd diet, she decided to not torture her long time friends by eating the pizza she so desperately craved.

"Oh God, think of the cheese."

"The cheese? Think of the delicious carb-filled bread!"

"No, no, I think we're missing the most important thing about pizza right now."

"What would that be?"

"BACON."

"Oh God, bacon…"

The trio walked over to a vegetarian food stand and ordered small meals for themselves; Santana and Brittany ordering veggie shakes and Quinn ordering side salad and tiny thing of hummus and pita chips.

"We need to get that pizza."

"I can't make them suffer, though."

"Bacon, Quinn, bacon…"

"Q, why were you acting so weird a couple days ago in Glee?"

The blonde looked up from her food tray to the blue eyed girl asking her the question, and bit her lip cautiously. She couldn't tell her friends the truth, not yet anyway, but Quinn always did have a hard time lying to Brittany. Santana she could handle, but Brittany was another story.

"I was feeling better than I had in a long time, is all," Quinn flashed a sincere smile to the other blonde before taking a mouthful of chips and hummus.

"Tubbers, you fell out of a damn chair; you must of had the Holy-fuckin-Spirit flowin' through you to do that."

Quinn rolled her eyes, but chuckled at Santana's comment, "I just felt good. I must have been leaning back in my chair without realizing it and just slipped."

Matching Quinn's eyeroll the brunette sipped on her dark green shake, "If you say so, Tubbers."

"San, can we go to the bookstore?" Brittany smiled and laced her fingers with Santana's.

"Why do you wanna go to the bookstore, Baby?" The brunette kissed the blondes knuckles and Quinn smiled softly at the gesture. No matter what reputation Santana had, she would always be a total teddy bear at heart.

"You'd know what I'd like kiss right now?"

"Hmmm?"

"Bacon pizza."

"Oh yes."

"I want the new Super Duck story," Brittany smiled and started dragging her girlfriend from the booth and heading to the bookstore, "Will you pretty, pretty please pay half with me?"

"I'll pay for all of it," Santana responded immediately with a dreamy smile on her face.

Quinn chuckled as she trailed behind them, feigning interest in a dress shop.

"Hey, I'll meet up with you, okay? I'm going to go look at a dress in here."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Q; Britts and I are about to go get are reads on."

This time Quinn let out a full bellied laugh, "Your reads?"

The brunette growled and stalked off pulling Brittany along with her who called out, "We'll catch up with you later, Q! If you need us we'll be in the duck section!"

The hazel eyed girl just smiled and waved as they walked out of sight.

"Finally, I can get my pizza."

The blonde smiled triumphantly and turned around on her heel…

"Oomph!"

"Achk!"

"I'msosorry!"

"No, I'm sorry!"

"Rachel?"

"Quinn?"

"Hi! Oh my god, I'm so sorry I ran into you!" The blonde placed a hand on the shorter girls shoulder, "Are you okay, I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No, no, just think of it as payback for me running into you a few days ago."

Rachel smiled at Quinn, and Quinn would've sworn she would have melted right then and there if it weren't for the other thoughts running through her head;

"God, she's beautiful."

"Yeah, okay, but, have you thought about how she is derailing your plans for pizza?"

"Her smile… those shining eyes…"

"The sizzly sizzle… the enchanting aroma…"

"So, Rach," The blonde smiled, pulling her beanie down over the tips of her ears, "What are you here for, just hanging out?"

"Actually, my fathers decided I needed a break from my computer. They seemed to have noticed my ever growing addiction to it." Rachel smiled shyly and Quinn noticed that the girl was rubbing her upper arm,

"She must be nervous; she only does that when she is."

"Make a move, Q, make a move."

Quinn bit her lip and gently placed her hand over the hand that was pawing at the arm, and brought it down between them, "Am I making you nervous or something?"

"No, of course not! I just.. I guess I am a bit scared that you'll think it's weird that I'm getting addicted to my computer."

Rachel looked down at Quinn's hand holding hers, and the blonde examined the way a brief light floated through Rachel's eyes. She took it as a good sign and moved her fingers just holding the top knuckles of Rachel's, to holding it palm to palm and walking with Rachel through the mall, back to the food court.

"I don't think it's weird at all."

Quinn thought back to earlier that evening and tried to hide a smile that was fighting to show itself. She had actually held a long conversation with Rachel, talked about random things that her heart adored, made Rachel blush and keysmash (keysmash!), and got Rachel to admit that she had a crush not only on her blog but on her!

"Charlie."

"Me."

"Charlie."

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I'm going to pout."

"Don't pout, you're in public!"

"Pouting."

"I'm really glad you don't think it's weird. My fathers were getting quite ups- Quinn, are you pouting?" Rachel laughed quietly under her breath and looked up at Quinn who had her bottom lip subtly jutting out and her puppy dog eyes shining.

She practically flailed (she'd been doing that a lot lately) as she tried to compose herself, "Noo.."

"Okay…" Rachel just chuckled and walked along wherever Quinn was taking her.

"Where are we going, if you mind I ask?"

"We're going the long way around to the food court."

"Why the long way around?"

"So Brittany and Santana don't realize that I ditched them for food."

Rachel let out a laugh and hid her face against Quinn's shoulder - not missing the way Quinn's breath hitched, just like it had in the car last night.

"You ditched them for food? Why not just ask them to join you?"

"I ditched them for food because I was trying to be considerate."

Rachel laughed louder and squeezed Quinn's hand, "Oh my god, you can't be serious. Considerate?"

The blonde smiled and squeezed Rachel's hand, realizing how silly it sounded. "Yes! Considerate because they're on the strict Cheerios diet and I didn't want to flaunt my freedom in their faces."

"That sounds much better," Rachel chuckled and Quinn couldn't help but smile at how much she had heard that beautiful laughter already tonight. She thought how she had explained to Rachel exactly how she felt for her…

"Of course… I had told her as Charlie… and Charlie was talking about The One who is Rachel…"

"But Rachel doesn't know that… does she?"

The pair arrived at the pizza stall and looked up at the menu, still hand-in-hand.

"They have vegan pizza here, too, Rach, in case you didn't know." The blonde smiled as she said it, but kept her eyes on the menu.

"Just order the damn bacon pizza already."

"I have to not look so needy over meat."

"It's been a battlefield to get this far! Order. The. Pizza."

"I'll have a vegan vege pizza slice, please," Rachel told the cashier with a smile.

"I'll have one too," Quinn told the cashier, defeated. Her heart overruled her stomach.

"You deserve to starve, Quinn! You have no strength. NO STRENGTH."

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Rachel said softly, but with a smile that held more meaning and happiness than Quinn had ever seen on the smaller girl. Quinn felt any last resistance to withholding a bacon pizza slice she had crumble and the sincerity in the girl's smile.

"I'm a goner."

"I know, Rach," She tried to match the brunette's smile and then turned towards the server as she picked up the two plates and led them to an empty table.

"So, Ms. I-Have-An-Internet-Addiction, what has been keeping you glued to the computer screen?"

Quinn smiled as the other girl prepared for a spiel by tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear and clearing her throat. "First and foremost, I will tell you what I told my fathers: I do not have an internet addiction. I merely am intrigued with the online world more than I usually am, and since I am on it more than usual it just appears as if I have an addiction because my time span on the computer and/or internet has increased to amounts that do not appear normal in comparison to my usual allotted time slots for internet usage."

"Allotted times, hm?" The blonde teased.

Blushing, Rachel continued, "Yes, Quinn, allotted times. I have a very busy schedule and it is imperative that I have everything planned out. I even planned out the time we are currently using. It's labelled 'free time' in my day planner. Actually, my internet time has recently intertwined with my free time, but that's besides the matter."

"You have not yet answered what is keeping you on your computer," Quinn raised her eyebrow and smirked. She knew exactly what was keeping Rachel on her computer, it was her.

"Charlie."

"Shut up."

"I… well, to be honest with you… I have started a blog. I must admit I don't post on there a lot because I'm more intrigued with other blogs, but the whole blogging-sphere is what has been keeping me occupied."

Rachel picked at her pizza toppings shyly before taking a large bite, and Quinn softened at realizing that Rachel was actually embarrassed from it all.

"Hey, it's okay that you like blogging and everything; and it's okay that you use your free time doing it. If you like it, and it makes you happy, I'm glad that you found it." Quinn reached across and placed her hand on top of Rachel's, "I mean that."

Rachel met Quinn's eyes with an unbelieving but appreciative, hopeful, and happy glow.

"I- Okay.. Do you want to know about the blog that I really adore the most?"

Quinn's heart pounded in her chest, and she took off her scarf just to let her shaky hands have something to do. She nodded, trying to keep a lax exterior, "More than anything," She smiled.

"Well, it's run by this girl named Charlie. Every time I read on of her posts, message her, get a reply, read her tags - oh, those are little like things to search by, but most people put their thoughts in them - or see pictures she posts, or anything, my heart stops and my palms sweat, and then it all reverses and I get jittery and excited. I talked with her tonight for the first time, one on one in a chat room. It was the happiest, most exhilarating thing to have happened to me in a long time; she's phenomenal, and she loves stars!"

"Oh my word, I do all of that to her? I make her excited and nervous and happy?"

"Charlie does."

"Charlie is me, dumbass, I'm tired of you, shoo."

"I'm apart of you too, dumbass."

"Well, me needs to shut up."

"Keep going, I like hearing you ramble on. It's cute," Quinn smiled. Rachel gave her a cute baffled look, but trekked on.

"I think I really like her. I know I just broke up with Finn, and by the way, I need to thank you for that. You helped me realize I deserve better than him. But, Charlie just… she makes me feel more than Finn ever did. She talks about things I enjoy, has all these intense and imaginative ideas and words and visions that speak to me, and just… Quinn, I think… I can trust you right? We're friends now?"

Quinn sat up and looked Rachel in the eyes, now scared about what Rachel had to say, "Of course, Rachel, I know I've been shitty to you for a long time but I'm really trying to make up for it. I promise you can confide in me, and I will not tell a soul. We're friends, and I want to make sure that you know that, and that I will do everything in my power to protect you because that's what friends do."

Rachel nodded and licked her lips as she prepared to tell Quinn what had been eating at her since the first day she laid eyes on Charlie's words.

"I think… I'm falling for this person I've never met or seen. I've only known them to exist for a little over a week. And that's a problem. Because not only do I not know anything about them besides their words, they have someone else too. They're madly in love with this person they refer to as "The One." I couldn't compete with that, and nor would I want to. I could never come between her and the person she loves."

"TELL HER, QUINN. TELL HER."

"Rachel, I-"

"There you are, Tubbers! We've been looking all over for you!"

"Fuck."

Santana glowered as she carried the Barnes and Nobles bag; while she and Brittany had gotten their lady times and reads in, she had walked far more than she wanted to looking for Quinn, on incredibly sore legs from Cheerios practice.

Brittany hopped into Quinn's lap and kissed her cheek, "We bought the duckie book. It's so cute, there are lots of pictures! But don't worry, I'm going to read all of the words too!"

"That's great, Brittany," Quinn tried her best to give Brittany a smile, and looked quickly back to Rachel so the other blonde wouldn't notice the true effort she was giving to look happy. The brunette across from her didn't look as if she was giving as much effort, however, because her features were drooped and she was rubbing her upper arm. All Quinn wanted to do was go sit next to her, grab her hand, and whisper how she was the one she wanted; that she was Charlie and that the girl she was falling for was right next to her, and how they could have their supernova of a kiss in this smelly mall in their small hometown of Lima, Ohio, with everyone watching and envying their earth-shattering swipes and movements.

And she was about to because she was past the point of caring, but suddenly Santana's (not quite as soft as Rachel's) hand had grabbed her own and was calling a goodbye to the 'hobbit' and babbling about the mall being 'too fucking hot' and how her mom would kill her if she wasn't home by ten-thirty.

They were halfway to the parking lot, Quinn's mind scrambling to keep up with what just happened and trying to find an excuse to run back in and tell Rachel everything, when she remembered:

"I forgot my scarf! I'll be right back!" The blonde turned and ran faster than she ever did on the Cheerios, and arrived to the table they had been sitting at, at record speed. Except there was one problem. While her scarf was safe and sound, Rachel wasn't there.

"Damn it," she muttered when she scanned the area for the petite brunette.

She sighed and put her scarf on as she made her way to the exit.

"Wait!"

She turned around and ran back to the food court.

"Two slices of bacon pizza, please."