Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Sorry to all of those who I told that this chapter would be up at the weekend- I was going to update on Sunday night but completely (I'm going to blame it on exam stress but it's probably just me being stupid) but it's up now- thanks to everyone who reviewed- I love you guys! Enjoy!

"Have you got your homework?" Quinn asked quietly as she knelt down and zipped up Beth's coat. "And your lunch?"

"Yeah." Beth nodded. "Can we please go now; I want to see Charlie; she's got a new doll." Charlie, short for Charlotte, was Beth's best friend and she often spend the night or weekends there if Quinn was especially busy; Julie, her mother, was one of Quinn's lifesavers and she truly had no idea what she'd do without the woman.

"Come on then." Quinn stood back up swung Beth's school bag onto her shoulder while the girl carried her Winnie the Pooh lunchbox and then took Beth's spare hand. "I won't pick you up from school today."

She started her instructions for how the day would play out as she shut the door quietly careful not to wake the sleeping people within. She still didn't know how Puck had slept through her getting up and dressed, getting Beth sorted and making breakfast (although they had eaten it in Quinn's room much to Beth's excitement) and finally their departure from the house.

"But someone will; just look for Aunty Rachel or her friends." She finished as they started down the stairs and through the shop before stepping out onto the pavement. "I'll tell Mrs Peters that it won't be me picking you up."

"Ok." Beth nodded skipping along her lunchbox banging into her side. "Do you like Aunty Rachel's friends?"

Quinn nodded thinking back to the five still sleeping in her apartment; she had left them a note telling them to help themselves to breakfast and the time she would be back. "Yeah they're lovely. Do you like them?"

Beth grinned at her. "Yeah; Blaine played his guitar for me and Kurt sang along with Aunty Rachel; they sound nice together. And Puck read Harry Potter to me."

Quinn smiled squeezing her hand tightly pleased that she wasn't fazed by the new people invading her home. "I'm glad you like them."

"Do you like Puck?" Beth asked looking curious as Quinn stopped blushing. "Why are you going red?"

"I'm not." Quinn denied pulling Beth along quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"He wanted to know if you were dating anyone." Beth informed her almost darting in front of a car, before Quinn pulled her back, as she saw the gates to her school. Her mother was pleased that she had little trouble getting her daughter to school as other parents; Beth loved school.

"What did you tell him?" Quinn asked her blush returning as she remembered how the duvet had fallen of Puck in the night and she had had yet another view of his toned chest. He had looked so peaceful as he slept on the couch and she had been unable to resist tucking the cover back around him and running her thumb across his cheek.

"No." Her daughter answered. "Why did he ask me that?"

Quinn shrugged. "No idea; men work in weird ways." She winked looking down at her daughter before they walked through the gates and into the playground where they were hit by the noise of children playing and parents talking to each other and teachers.

"Would you date him?" Beth asked tugging on her hand. "I liked him. You haven't dated anyone since Jesse." She missed her mother's flinch at the name but Quinn shrugged it off putting the memory aside.

"I don't know." Quinn knelt down and hugged her. "Have a lovely day and I'll see you at home; someone will pick you up." She kissed her forehead and handed over the bag before Beth darted over to Charlie and several other friends.

Quinn watched her go with a smile and then sought out Beth's teacher to inform her of the picking up plans so that Mrs Peters knew that she wouldn't be letting Beth go off with strangers before waving at Julie and a couple of other parents she knew and then starting the short walk home.

By the time Quinn had returned home the others were all up and ready and after accepting their offer to help her Quinn had set them all to work seeing as there wasn't much she would be stopping them from doing; Lima was not an exciting town or even near anywhere exciting.

And not that Quinn knew this but Mercedes had called Rachel with the news that Quinn would be on her own without Tina's help at work and none of them could get away from work and as Rachel could would she go down and help.

Seeing as she had been meaning to see Quinn for ages and introduce her to Finn it had seemed like the perfect time and then the others had all heard of the trip, wanted to see Rachel's home town and the infamous woman who they had never met but had heard so much about.

Puck and Finn had been entrusted to the shop under Blaine's supervision. Quinn had trusted them to keep it going themselves but Kurt and Rachel had appeared dubious and so Blaine had offered his services although Quinn had her suspicions that he wanted to be in on the discussion of the football game that had taken place yesterday afternoon.

Rachel had then been put in charge of bagging chocolates up in the small room next to the kitchen but the door was kept open so she could join the chatter. Kurt was following the recipe for truffles a favourite and Quinn was creating more complicated flavoured chocolate in stunning shapes.

"So how long have you and Blaine been together?" Quinn asked breaking the silence that had fallen between them apart from Rachel's singing along to the radio.

Kurt looked up as she broke his concentration and added the softened butter to the chocolaty mix in front of him. "We got together halfway through college; I was roommates with his friend David."

"And how did it happen? Who asked who?" Quinn shot questions at him while Rachel laughed from the other room breaking off from her rendition of 'Don't stop believing'.

"You sound like a teenage girl." Kurt raised one eyebrow delicately as he put the bowl aside to let it set before he could pipe it into truffle size spheres later.

Quinn raised her wooden spoon in defence smiling as she did so. "I don't get to do this thing often; Tina was already with Mike when we started this." She gestured round the kitchen at her pride and joy. "Santana and Brittany have been dating since forever and Mercedes hasn't seen someone serious for ages and Rachel apparently doesn't keep me updated with her love life." She raised her voice pointedly and the girl in the other room ignored her.

"Just let me have my fun." Quinn finished while Kurt shook his head laughing.

"We were friends for about a year before I finally told him that I liked him." Kurt started the story leaning against the counter and folding his arms across his chest. "And then he told me that he didn't want to ruin our friendship and didn't feel the same way."

Quinn gave a low whistle and turned her full attention onto Kurt. "Wow that must have hurt."

"You've no idea." Kurt nodded. "I thought that was the end of everything but he seemed keen just to forget about it and keep our friendship."

"Which you had a good cry about." Rachel appeared in the doorway. "Chocolates are all bagged up." She added.

"I didn't cry." Kurt protested glaring at her. Rachel gave him a pointed look and he pulled a face. "Well maybe for a bit." He conceded as Rachel tried to swipe a finger into the bowl and then yelped as Quinn swatted her hand away.

"So what happened then?"

"A few months later I visited Finn and his parents with them and Rachel." Blaine had appeared in the kitchen and wound his arm around Kurt's waist kissing his cheek. "And heard him singing Blackbird to their warbler who had died. And that was the moment for me when I knew that I needed him in my life as something more than friends; that I loved him."

"Aww." Quinn sighed as the two gazed into each other's eyes remembering back to those days. There was a crash from the shop and the two broke apart while Rachel looked at Blaine suspiciously

"You left them alone in there." She glared at him before Finn poked his head round the door reassuring them that Puck had just walked into the door leading up to the flat and nothing was damaged.

Quinn glanced at the clock and decided that it was lunchtime. "Do you guys want to break for lunch? We can lock up shop and go out to eat somewhere."

Puck poked his head round the door. "You had me at lunch."

Rachel and Kurt shared an exasperated look. "Do you ever think about anything other than your stomach?" Puck ignored them while Blaine and Quinn laughed.

"How about Rachel and Quinn go out for lunch and we'll eat here." Kurt offered as Finn's stomach grumbled and then looked sheepish as his girlfriend raised her eyebrows at him.

"Are you sure?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah; you two need to catch up anyway. I know what girls are like and Rachel talks forever." Finn ducked as Rachel aimed a punch at him for the last comment.

"Ok; we'll close the shop for lunch and you four can help yourselves to anything upstairs or order something in; there's numbers on the fridge." Quinn decided as Finn and Puck bolted to argue over lunch and Quinn and Rachel followed slowly to get ready leaving Kurt and Blaine alone in the kitchen.

There was a silence between them for moment before Blaine broke it. "Did you really cry?"

Kurt blushed. "You heard that."

Blaine bit his lip at the indirect confirmation. "I'm sorry." He muttered lowly looking away from Kurt. "I never wanted to make you cry. I hate it when you cry."

"And I hate it when you cry." Kurt countered pulling Blaine against his chest and keeping his arms around him in a tight hold. "Blaine babe it's all in the past and we're together now anyway. Don't let it bother you."

"But it does." Blaine was still refusing to meet his eyes and Kurt was slightly confused at why he was taking this so badly they had had worse fights.

He turned Blaine in his arms so that the smaller boy was looking at him. "What's brought this on?"

"Nothing." Blaine looked down and Kurt tilted his chin up and smoothed his thumb against his cheek.

Kurt leant his forehead against his boyfriends. "I know when you're lying." Blaine remained silent. "This isn't really about me crying is it?" Kurt came to the conclusion and was rewarded as Blaine agreed. "Then what is it?"

"It's just that Quinn reminds me of my sister." Blaine whispered and Kurt felt like hitting himself for not having thought of it before. Blaine's sister had been a single mother too and had looked remarkably similar to the blonde chocolatier. And then by the hands of one drunk driver two years ago they had both vanished from Blaine's life.

"I'm so sorry babe." Kurt kissed his forehead and then pulled Blaine even closer against him rubbing his back soothingly as Blaine leant into him and cried.

They stood like that for ages and Finn who had come down to see where they were had understood immediately and mouthed at Kurt that they would keep pizza warm for Blaine and they had made Kurt a salad.

"Don't tell Quinn will you?" Blaine finally pulled away from him his eyes red rimmed but no longer crying. "I think she'd feel guilty."

"I think you're right." Kurt agreed kissing his cheek again. "And I won't tell her. Now come on Finn's saved you pizza and they even made me a salad."

"You alright Blaine?" Finn asked as the two entered the room hand in hand. He nodded and accepted the plate of pizza with a smile. "Kurt Mom called we need to call her and Burt." The brunette nodded and followed his brother into the room he was sharing with Rachel.

"Sure you're ok?" Puck asked again as Blaine sat down. They rarely spent time alone and so there was a slightly awkward atmosphere in the room.

"Yeah." Blaine nodded and Puck accepted the reassurance knowing what had set Blaine off and deciding that there was nothing he could do except act normally.

"You want to watch the replay of yesterdays match?"

"Go for it." Blaine grinned swallowing a mouthful of pizza while Puck reached for the remote.

"Hey Emma." Quinn called to the woman behind the counter of the café she had just entered with Rachel behind her. It was the usual café that Quinn visited either with Tina on their lunchbreak when they felt they needed a treat, with Beth on a special occasion or whenever Rachel or another of her friends visited. As a result she knew Emma well, as did Rachel.

"Hi Quinn, Rachel." Emma waved as the two took their usual table. "You guys wanted the usual?"

"Please." Rachel answered loving how in this small town people had a relationship like this and customers were remembered something that rarely happened in New York.

"So when did you and Finn start going out?" Quinn asked launching straight into the catching up. "How did you meet? Why didn't you tell me?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and held her hand up to stop the onslaught of questions that Quinn was throwing at her. "Slow down; I didn't tell you because I was going to come down to stay with you now anyway so I thought I'd surprise seeing as you are always going on at me to find someone which is quite hypocritical by the way."

"Not really." Quinn protested at the last statement. "You're always on at me to find someone too."

Rachel ignored that and started her tale. "Blaine and Kurt are my neighbours." She started.

"They are your best friends in New York aren't they?" A flash of realisation came over Quinn as she remembered the phone conversations where the two names had been casually dropped in.

"Apart from Mercedes." Rachel agreed talking of the woman who was part of the five from high school.

"So when did you meet Finn?" Quinn repeated eagerly and then took her glass and plate from Emma who had appeared. "Thanks Em, you want to join us. Rachel's about to tell her story about her new man."

"You found someone?" Emma grinned at the blushing Broadway star who was now staring intently at her glass of sparkling water. "That's great; I'd join you two but I've got to make a phone call now, sorry." She smiled at them both before disappearing back behind the counter and dialling a number on the phone.

"So what happened?"

"Impatient much?" Rachel laughed while Quinn scowled. "I met Finn on Kurt's birthday."

Rachel was running late and swearing under her breath as she half ran half tottered down the street in her stilettos that she had paired with a blue dress that fell down to her knees. She came to halt outside the restaurant where Kurt's birthday dinner was being held to catch her breath before pushing open the door and following a waiter to the table where a large number of people were sitting.

"Sorry I'm late." She sent Kurt a sheepish grin as he stood up to greet her. "Got caught on the phone to Quinn."

"The chocolatier right?" Kurt returned the hug and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah; the blonde with a daughter." Rachel confirmed. "Happy Birthday." She handed him an envelope which he opened eagerly while the rest of the guests watched the interaction.

"You got me tickets to Wicked." Kurt grinned happily hugging her tightly again.

"Really Rachel?" Blaine glared at her. "I've sat through ten performances of that already."

"Which is why I'll take Rachel to this one." Kurt ruffled his hair that for once wasn't full of gel as Kurt liked it best that way. "That way I won't have to sit next to someone huffing and sighing all the way through."

"And that's why I bought them." Rachel smirked giving Blaine a hug as well as he stood up for one.

"This is my father Burt, step-mother Carole and step-brother Finn." Kurt started introductions. "Wes and David, friends from high school. Guys this is Rachel our neighbour and best friend."

"I thought we were best friends." David clasped a hand to his chest dramatically. "You wound me Kurt and I want that jacket I bought you back."

"What so you can wear it?" Blaine rolled his eyes as Wes shoved David and Finn laughed while Rachel sat down between Wes and Finn.

The conversation soon split off between Kurt and his parents, David and Blaine who were arguing about something that had happened years ago but they had still to let go off and Wes was making helpful comments on either side to the others displeasure and so Rachel and Finn were left to each others company.

"So you're on Broadway right?" Finn asked taking a sip of his beer.

"Yeah, I'm in Spring Awakening at the moment." She answered smiling at him and glancing over the menu.

"Cool, what's that about." Finn asked showing how he was of a completely opposite personality to his step-brother. She proceeded to give him a rundown of the plot before the conversation flowed on with no one else being able to join in and so having to make do with each other.

When the evening had come to an end they had all politely said goodbye to Carole and Burt before David and Wes had vanished off and Blaine had asked Finn to take Rachel home as he had somewhere he wanted to take Kurt.

Somewhere along the walk home their hands had found their way to hold the other's and while they had both blushed at the contact the chatter had continued. They had paused at Rachel's front door unwilling to say goodbye to each other before their lips met and arms went round each other.

"That was…" Rachel found herself lost for words as they drew apart.

"Yeah." Finn leant his forehead against hers and took a deep breath. "Would you like to maybe go out tomorrow night?"

Rachel smiled thinking of her arrangement to meet a friend who she didn't really like. "I'd love that."She admitted shyly.

"I'll pick you up at seven then." Finn grinned and she was reminded of an overly excited puppy.

"Great."

"Aww." Quinn sighed as Rachel's tale came to an end along with their meals.

"I know." Rachel nodded draining her glass. "He was so perfect and gentlemanly and…"

"You love him don't you?" Quinn recognised the expression on her best friend's face.

"I think I do." She smiled happily as her boyfriend's face entered her mind.

"When are you going to tell him?"

Rachel looked up and met Quinn's eyes which showed her happiness for her friend. "Soon."

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