Part 20 – The storm before the calm.

"She's going to want to talk about you, and I don't know what to say." Quinn babbles. I didn't know that she did that. "At least when it's a party, or if Santana and Brittany are involved, I can skirt around you, at least that's what I've done in the past, but if it's just you and I, what do I say that doesn't make it obvious that I've been in love with you for forever?"

Love?

Oh. So that's what she meant.

She loves me. Quinn Fabray loves me, Rachel Berry, and she just blurts it out as an explanation. It wasn't a declaration. It wasn't anything really, so I don't know why my heart suddenly stops beating when she says it.

It doesn't last long, of course it doesn't because if it did, I wouldn't be currently pacing my room and ignoring the ringing of my cell phone, I would be dead. Dramatic I know, but that's what happens when your heart stops beating, I saw it on Grey's Anatomy.

It's too soon. If she had waited, then maybe I wouldn't have had the same reaction, the same over reaction that froze Quinn's face when she realised what she had said.

I obviously love her too. Maybe, I should have told her that, but really, we haven't been dating for long enough to say that yet. We've only really been friendly for three very short days. We might've known each other for years, we might've had secret feelings for each other for almost that long, but until three days ago, I believed that Quinn didn't really like me much. Sure, we were no longer the combatants that we had once been. She no longer called me as many derogatory names as she used to, and she no longer slushied me herself, but three days ago, I was still under the impression that Quinn Fabray wouldn't urinate on me even if I were on fire.

I huff loudly and cross my arms over my chest as my phone rings off only to start up again.

I doubted her. Just moments before the revelation, I doubted that Quinn wanted me for anything more than my dick.

Damn it to hell, I have never been so wrong, even when sending a tiny girl to a disused crack house. I have never been so wrong about anything. Perhaps that's why I reacted so badly. I have never been so wrong, and she just shoved that fact right in my face by saying that she was in love with me.

Why did she just have to blurt it out? Why couldn't Quinn have waited for a more appropriate time and place, just like I was going to wait? Granted, we had just made love for the first time and it had been perfect, so declaring her love would have been an extension of that perfect moment, but once again, it wasn't a declaration.

I scowl at my phone as the ring tone becomes annoying. I have never hated a song like I hate Ever Green right now. Streisand be damned.

I shouldn't have gaped at her. I certainly shouldn't have laughed nervously, and when she asked me what was wrong, I shouldn't have flipped my shit.

I was supposed to say it first. At least that's how I planned it in my head. We would date for a few weeks, make love on a bed of rose petals, and then I was going to declare my love when I felt for sure that she felt the same way. When I felt for sure that my feelings were reciprocated.

She just blurted it out. Big mouthed romantic plan ruin-er.

My phone stops ringing and I stare at it, waiting for it to ring again. When Ever Green fails to sound through my room, I huff. Why did she stop calling? Was she fed up with me and my attitude already? I grab my cell and look at the display. Six missed calls and not one of them is from Quinn.

My brows furrow as I stare at the words on my screen. Unknown Number. Why wasn't Quinn calling me?

This is crazy. I'm crazy. I love her, and apparently she loves me too. Tomorrow, I'll apologise. Rachel Barbra Berry knows when to admit when she's wrong.

"Look, Quinn," I approach her at her locker as soon as I see her at school. "I apologise for how I reacted last night."

"You mean for laughing at me," She hisses quietly, "When I told you that I loved you?" She glances around us, probably noting that no one was paying us much attention. "Or, when you yelled at me for ruining your plans? I opened my heart to you and you yelled at me, Rachel."

My eyes widen at the once familiar ice I see in her sharp gaze. So, she hadn't forgotten about last night, and it didn't look as though she instantly forgave me either. I sigh.

"I said that I was sorry." I know I'm pouting, but I really can't help it. "Can't we just forget about it? Tell me you love me again and I'll react like you want me too." My lips quirk into a smile. I'll tell her that I love her too and then all will be forgiven.

"No, Rachel." She's shaking her head when she slams her locker shut. "I can't just forget it." With that, she turns and walks away from me.

Perhaps I under-exaggerated how much I messed up last night.

I follow her, walking quickly enough that I gradually catch her up, but not so quickly as to draw attention to me chasing after Quinn. If this wasn't so new, I would chase her down like a bat out of hell, but no one at school knows that mine and Quinn's relationship has taken a dramatic turn.

"Quinn, please." I reach for her hand only for her to snatch it out of the way. Okay, that hurt. "I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, it's just, I had plans and you-"

"Ruined them?" Quinn scowls. "This isn't all about you, Rachel." She grabs my arm and pulls me closer to the lockers so that she can lower her voice. "I didn't mean to say it like I did." She huffs. "I was stressing out about how my mother would see us in me, and I was being honest. These past couple of days with you, I've only ever been honest, Rachel, and you never seem to believe me."

I take a slow breath as I chew on my lip. Damn it. "Quinn," I sigh. "It's hard to forget how things were between us, and it has only been three days."

I watch as she takes in a shuddery breath and holds a hand to her brow. She's staring at me and I wonder if she's using that freaky super power where she knows exactly what I'm thinking just by my facial expression. "Okay." Her shoulders slump and she takes a step closer to me.

"Okay?" I swallow thickly. "Did you just forgive me for acting like a crazy person?" I can feel the tears spring to my eyes and I'm worried that I'll end up having a Kristen Bell meltdown in the middle of the school.

She nods her head and a small smile lifts her lips. "There's a lot of crazy to forgive," She huffs a short laugh, "But, we both made mistakes, and perhaps I shouldn't have said what I said; how I said it."

"Do you still mean it though?" I look up at her through my lashes and she nods. I feel the relief instantly. I haven't ruined everything after all.

"Yeah." She glances around her again and this time takes my hand in hers. "But, I won't say it again until you do."

"I lo-"

"No." She slaps her free hand over my mouth and grins at me. "Let's do this your way. You have your plans after all."

I sigh and roll my eyes before peeling her hand away from my mouth. "Really, Quinn? Plans are made to be broken."

She arches a fine golden brow at me and I know my mistake instantly. "So its okay for you to break plans, but not me?" Oh dear lord, I'm glad that she's smirking and not back to scowling.

I take a breath as I formulate my reply. What can I say that won't get me into trouble?

"Hey, Rachel."

Thank fuck for Finn Hudson. "Finn." I grin at him as he smiles back. "I hope that you enjoyed the movie last night? I thought it was a little lacking in terms of storyline, but it was still an enjoyable watch."

"Dude," Noah steps up besides Finn and slaps him on the shoulder. "You better take care of my Jewish princess if you're back to knocking boots."

I can feel the smile slide off of my face at Noah's words and I look to see the thunder in my girlfriends hazel eyes. Crap.

Finn looks at me and I see the beginnings of a hopeful smile appear on his face.

"Rachel's dating Quinn, not Finn." Brittany bounces into the middle of the conversation before I even knew that she was close enough to overhear. "I know it's an easy mistake to make when they both sound the same. It took me a while to realise when Quinn was pregnant that it wasn't Finn."

I stop breathing as I turn to see Quinn's reaction to the revelation. Her lips are a thin line, and if it was anyone other than Brittany that just let our secret slip, I think she would be giving them a death glare, but instead, her eyes focus on me. Is she going to deny me?

Quinn's hand drops mine and I swallow thickly, automatically thinking the worst until her arm moves around my waist and she pulls me close. I really need to stop doubting her when she hasn't given me cause. She was right when she said that she has been nothing but honest this entire weekend. But still, it has only been three days and habits are hard to break. I'll apologise to her again, later.

"What's going on?" Finn's brow draws together and I can already see the anger start to colour his cheeks as he looks between Quinn and I.

He's not sure about what's going on, I can see that clearly on his face, but Quinn's hand clutching possessively at my hip is sending him the right kind of signals, even if I do suspect that it's a power play for her. I sigh softly and cross my arms over my chest.

"Puck's an ass and Brittany is right." Quinn levels her gaze at Finn and I can hear the smugness to her tone. "Rachel and I have decided that we'd like to try being more than friends."

Okay, that almost made me laugh. More than friends? When have Quinn and I ever just been friends?

"She's mine."

I'm blinking rapidly at that little statement and at first I think that it came from Finn's mouth because it sounds like something he'd say, only to notice his lips pressing tightly together and a scowl on his face. When I look to Quinn, she's wearing a smug grin and I can't help but swoon. Wait. I didn't swoon. I'm angry. I'm not a possession to be fought over, no matter how flattering.

"Quinn." I try for a chiding tone but I'm failing big time.

"I don't believe you." Finn looms over us, his arms crossing defensively over his chest. "You're telling lies, Quinn, just like you always do." His dark eyes narrow. "I don't know what your plan is this time, but I won't let you get away with it. Rachel's mine."

I can hear the hushed 'ooohhh' ripple through the crowd of so called friends that have gathered around us. I swear to all that is holy, the entire Glee club is surrounding Quinn and I.

It's like a tennis match. My eyes flicker from Quinn to Finn and back again. Her lip curls in anger but I can see the sparkle in hazel eyes and I know for sure that Quinn is about to say something totally inappropriate and probably about what happened in the park last night. "Don't you dare, Quinn Fabray." I swallow as I glare at her.

She scowls at me then. "Fine." She huffs. "But, you're mine, not his."

I can't believe that it's come down to this. They're arguing like children fighting over a toy. "I am not a toy." I stamp my foot before I notice the confusion. "I mean, I'm not a possession." I stamp my foot again for good measure. "I might be your girlfriend, Quinn, but I do not belong to you," I then turn my sharp gaze to Finn, "And, I certainly don't belong to you."

Finn lets out an incredulous 'pssh' sound. "You're not girlfriends." He shakes his head. "How can you be when you've never even made out? Holding hands isn't a relationship."

"Erm, Finn," Kurt steps forward, his hand reaching for his brother's bicep as his eyes dart between me and my very real girlfriend. "I think that, maybe, we should just go somewhere else." He can see that something has changed between Quinn and I, and I think that he thinks that the school hallway isn't exactly the best place for us to reveal this to my volatile ex-boyfriend. "Class is going to be starting soon."

Finn rips his arm from Kurt's grasp. His expression turns smug. "They're lying. I don't know why, but they're lying." He takes another step towards me and he's already too close for comfort. "Rachel, could I talk with you," He throws an arched brow over at Quinn, "Privately? We can sort all of this out, and then you and I can be boyfriend and girlfriend again?"

My eyes widen. "Finn, for the last time, I don't want to be your girlfriend. I have a girlfriend, and I'd appreciate it if you'd respect that." Why on earth had I been attracted to this giant, cloth-eared imbecile?

"Stop lying." His brows draw together. "Nothing is going on between you and Quinn," He then turns his angry gaze to Quinn, "And if there is, she's tricking you, Rachel. That's what she does."

It's my turn to scowl now and I'm so close to Finn, glaring up at him, that I can feel his boy breath on my face. "Now listen to me," I grind out angrily. "Quinn and I share genuinely Sapphic feelings. I don't care if you don't believe me, but I will not have you calling my girlfriend a liar."

"But you guys haven't even kissed." Finn huffs.

"Then what were you doing in the pool on Saturday?" Brittany pipes up from behind Tina. "I thought that was kissing. Am I wrong, San?"

I notice Santana for the first time then. She's standing just to the side of Kurt and I have a very strong feeling that if Finn decides to start something physical, that Santana is in the perfect position to jump in.

"You're not wrong, B," She doesn't take her dark eyes from off of Finn as she talks to her girlfriend. "They were making out, but the way they were grinding on each other, it was practically sex."

Kurt gasps. "Why didn't you tell me?" He looks at me, and he looks hurt.

I'm a little stunned right now. My mouth doesn't seem to be working and my heart is hammering. I'm just hoping and praying that Quinn and I making out in the pool is the only thing to be revealed.

"Santana." Quinn shakes her head at her friend. "Everyone does not need to know about that."

"Or about last night?" Santana's dark brow arches and her lip curls into a mischievous grin.

Oh no.

"You did not?" I twist away from Quinn so that I can glare at her.

She's silent for a few seconds before she throws out her hands and shrugs. "Sure I did." Quinn looks incredulous. "You yelled at me and I needed someone to talk to."

I swallow thickly, my face flushing in embarrassment. Santana knew what we did in the park, and she's looking at me as though she wants to high five me. It was my first time. That shit is supposed to be private.

Everyone else starts to fade away as I focus solely on my big-mouth girlfriend, who yet again, has said something that she shouldn't have. I thought that that was my job.

"I can't believe you told her." I jab my finger into Quinn's chest. I was letting my anger get the better of me, but I was hurt god damn it. "And, why didn't you call me if you wanted to talk?"

"What happened last night?" Artie pipes up.

"Nothing!" Quinn and I growl together. I step closer to her then. "And, until you realise that what you revealed to Santana was supposed to be held in the strictest of confidence, then nothing is all that's ever going to happen again."

"Damn." Santana draws out the word and has the good grace to wince.

I'm still staring at Quinn, but when she doesn't even apologize, I spin on my feet and push my way through my nosey friends.

"Wait, did you guys have sex last night?" I can hear Brittany ask as I walk away, but I don't stop. "Rachel?" She calls after me. "Mazel tov."

I find the nearest bathroom and lock myself in a stall. I'm tempted to slide down the wall to sit on the floor but I'm unsure as to the last time this floor was sanitized, so instead, I place the toilet seat lid down and line it with tissue. I drop my head into my hands.

We rushed things.

We don't know each other.

Quinn has real friends, and I don't. Kurt's a friend, sure, but even he doesn't know about my monthly visitor.

I sigh heavily, startling when there's a knock on the stall door.

"Rachel?" Quinn's voice is low.

"Jesus Christ, Q," I hear Santana then and the gentle knocking becomes a pounding fist. "Suck it up and apologise to your girl."

"San's right, Quinn." Brittany speaks. "You should say you're sorry for telling San about your special night."

"Ouch!" Santana yelps and my eyes widen in curiosity. "What the fuck, Britt?"

"And, you shouldn't have said anything in front of the others." I can hear the disapproval in Brittany's tone and I can't help my tremulous smile at her sticking up for me.

I know Santana's probably scowling by now, and when she yelps again and then growls, I know for sure that she's scowling. "Q was being a pussy." She hisses before lowering her voice and putting on a girly breathless quality. "It was all so beautiful and special." I swallow thickly at her bad imitation of Quinn. "I know it was Rachel's first time, but she made me feel like it was mine too. I only wish that it was."

I place my hand against the wooden barrier. "You wish that last night was your first time?" I take in a long shuddery breath as I stare at the door.

"Yeah." Quinn's voice is quiet. "Except for the end. I could've done without that."

"Me too." I sigh softly.

"Ay dios, Berry." Santana pounds on the door again. "Get your ass out here, both of you say sorry for this shit and let's get to class."

Taking a deep breath, I unlock the door and pull it open. Santana moves out of the way so that I can see Quinn. "You could've talked to me, you know? I was waiting by the phone." I'm pouting, but looking at my girlfriend, who suddenly seems so much more fragile than I've seen her look in a long time; I step forward and wrap my arms around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Rachel." She breathes into my hair. "I did try to call, but your phone was engaged so I assumed that you were talking to someone else."

I frown then when I remember the missed calls I had last night. I'd forgotten about those. Shaking my thoughts clear, I squeeze Quinn before releasing her. "I'm sorry too, Quinn. I didn't mean the things I said."

"Especially about the no sex, right?" Santana just had to butt in.

I frown over at the Latina. "Not that that's any of your business, Santana." I give her a pointed look. "And please, if Quinn ever comes to you in confidence again, be a real friend and keep it to yourself instead of blurting it out in front of the whole Glee club, who now, thanks to you, knows we had sex last night."

Santana's dark eyes narrow and she steps forward. "Are you calling me a bad friend?"

I gulp but then I see Brittany's arm circle Santana's waist, pulling her against her. "San, what you said out there wasn't nice and it hurt Rachel's feelings."

Santana was still scowling threateningly at me.

"And Quinn's."

She deflates a little then and I can see her ire melt away. "Okay. Fuck, I'm sorry." She doesn't really sound sorry, more like a petulant child being made to apologise. "I was just teasing, Q."

"Just because everyone knows about our disastrous first times, doesn't mean that Rachel wants everyone to know about hers." Quinn huffs.

"I'm sorry." Okay, now Santana sounds a little more sincere.

I turn around in Quinn's loose embrace so that I'm fully facing Brittany and Santana. My brows draw together, emphasizing my confusion. "I've never heard about your first time." I haven't. Everyone has heard about Quinn's because of the pregnancy, and no one, not even Brittany knows exactly when she lost her virginity, that all hung on your definition of sex or your thoughts on how far it has to be in before it counts as sex, but I don't ever remember hearing about Santana's first foray into sexual intercourse.

Santana scowls again. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Coach caught San having sex in the gym storage closet with Mr Scott." Brittany gives her girlfriend a comforting squeeze as Santana continues to scowl. "She didn't get the A in Maths he promised her, and he disappeared soon after."

I can't help the grimace on my face no matter how good of an actress I am. "You gave your virginity to a teacher?"

"For an A, Berry." Santana huffs. "I was gonna get kicked off the Cheerio's if my grades didn't pick up."

"But you average an A." I swallow my disgust.

"I started studying so that I didn't have to sleep with any more teachers." Dark eyes narrow as she stares. "Why don't you know this? It went around the school thanks to Quinn."

"I'm Rachel Berry." I shrug. "People don't share gossip with me." I gasp then when I realise what Santana had just told me, and look to the blonde behind me. "You didn't?"

She blushes furiously. "I wanted to be captain."

I step away from Quinn and shake my head at her. "You guys have a seriously messed up relationship. How can you even call each other friends?"

"We might be bitches, Rache," Brittany sighs as she rests her chin on Santana's shoulder. "But we're there for each other. Well, now we are. We've grown up." She grins widely, seemingly proud of herself.

I wrap my arms around myself.

"Rache?" Quinn sighs. "Where do we go from here? Are you going to break up with me because I'm a bitch?"

I can see the sparkle of tears in her hazel eyes. "I'm not breaking up with you, Quinn. I just," I take a deep breath and release it slowly, "think we should slow down. We should get to know each other better."

Her tears fall but she nods her head anyway.

I step into her space then and link my fingers with hers before pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. "I'm not breaking up with you." I breathe against her lips, urging her to believe me. "You're stuck with me, Quinn Fabray."

"Yeah, Q." Santana slaps Quinn's back. "Stop with the water works, Berry just wants to know your favourite colour and shit before you guys get to the good stuff again."

I smile softly, ignoring Santana's attempts at making light of our situation. "Would you care to walk me to class, Quinn?" I let go of her hands so that I can wipe away the drying remnants of her tears.

She takes my hand again when I drop them to my side. "I'd like that." She slips her fingers between mine before she presses first a kiss and then her lips to my ear as she lowers her voice in a whisper. "This is about more than not knowing my favourite colour, right? You might not think that you know me, but I know you, Rache, and I promise that I'll prove you can trust me." She kisses me again.

We walk as a foursome to class, with Quinn holding my hand the whole way there. She presses a lingering kiss to my cheek and smiles at me before walking away with Santana and Brittany. I try to suppress the shiver of want that wracks my body in reaction to her. Slowing down is going to be much harder than I thought. She didn't hide her feelings for me, even though the hallway was crowded, and my body stirs at the thought that everyone will know that Quinn Fabray is mine before the day is out. What? If Quinn can be possessive, then so can I. I just won't declare it in front of the entire Glee club like she did.

"Tell me that it's not true."

I spin around to face Finn. Sighing heavily, I shake my head as I walk past him. He sits next to me, like he always does, so I turn to him and give him my attention because this needs to be sorted out right now.

"It's true, Finn." I don't want to hurt him but if I'm not blunt, I know that he won't get what I'm saying, or he'll spin it around so that I'm saying something entirely different. "Quinn's my girlfriend. Not a girl who is my friend, a girl who I date. When you saw us at the movies last night, we were on a date date, not a friendly date."

"So you're into girls now?" His huge brow furrows in confusion. "Since when, Rache?"

I roll my eyes at him. "Since forever." Did he not remember the time when we tried a little roll playing while we made out in his bedroom? I was the football jock and he was the cheerleader? I wore the pads, and I convinced him to wear one of his mom's skirts? "I've always found women," I emphasize the 'women' part because we were no longer girls, "to be very aesthetically pleasing."

"But what about me?"

"I liked you, Finn." I did, I really did, back when I was looking for a male lead and Quinn was too busy flinging slushies and vicious words. "You're very handsome and kind." I don't reel off his faults because that will get me nowhere. "But, can you remember last year, when you said that kissing Quinn made you see fireworks? I get that now. I see fireworks, Finn."

His mouth turns down. "But that doesn't mean anything. I saw fireworks for a little while. It goes away, Rachel, and then I saw you," Aww, Finn can be sweet sometimes. "And, you're not mean or anything like Quinn. You're like a comfortable pair of gym socks." Okay, I take it back. "You're reliable, and maybe lucky like that little Irish dude that walks around because I score goals and hoops, and you care about me."

I purse my lips and breathe through my nose as I look at him incredulously. Blowing up at him will only make things worse for all of us, and splitting with Finn originally was for the good of Glee, now its for my own good. "I still care about you, Finn. I just don't want to go out with you anymore. We can still be friends though, but only if you stop asking me out."

He takes a moment to look at me before he nods his head in resignation. "Fine. I can be your friend."

I see the twinkle in his eyes and realise that we've done this before, recently. He says that he'll be my friend only to try and split Quinn and me up.

"I mean it, Finn." I scowl. "If I think for even one second that you're trying to sabotage my relationship with Quinn, you and I will be over. You don't get any more second chances."

I watch as he takes in a sharp breath. "I said fine, Rache." He mirrors my scowl and I think that he's finally got the message.

"Good." I turn and focus my attention on the teacher that has just walked in before giving Finn a quick nudge with my shoulder. "If it makes things easier for you," I lower my voice, "We can be bros. We have a lot in common after all. Glee and now hot girls."

Finn splutters and chokes as he gives me a wide eyed look. "Are you serious?"

I can't tell just yet if he thinks the idea is a good one or a bad one. "Sure. I can give you girl advice, you can give me girl advice and we'll bond over wine coolers whilst watching AMC. They're showing Wildcats this weekend. That's about football." I grin at him. "You dated Quinn for a long time, Finn. I could probably use your help." Yeah, I know I'm playing to his ego, but it seems to be working because a conspiratorial smirk lifts the corners of his lips.

He hunches closer to me. "I help you with Quinn, and you help me with girls?"

There he goes with the 'girls' thing again. "I'll help you with women, Finn." I sigh. "I'll help you find and keep a girlfriend if that's what you want."

He frowns. "I don't want a girlfriend. I want someone who'll let me into their panties."

I smack him. Hard.

"What? I thought we were bros?" He has the good grace to blush even though he's back to scowling at me as he rubs the sting from his bicep. "This is what bros talk about, Rachel."

I stare at him, wondering if I can take back everything I just said and keep Finn happy at the same time. "Fine." I huff. "But please remember that there are certain things that I really don't need, or want to know."

"I can do that." He's smirking again and then chuckling. "I feel sorry for you, Rache." I give him a curious look. "I was with Quinn for years, and not once did she let me under her top, let alone under her bra. You should've gone for a girl like Santana who gives it up on the first date."

I hit him again. This friendship was going to be a lot harder than I thought. The fool didn't even realise, even though it was revealed earlier on, that we'd already gone all the way after only three days.

Tbc.