Moving Along...

I own nothing, not even the idea...maybe the execution, yep...that's me

Enjoy!

14 Years Ago

Quinn knocked on the Berry's door and then quickly wiped her palms on her cheer-leading skirt. She was nervous, but spurred on by Santana's taunting and her Mother's kind words of acceptance, here she was. She was about to do the most risky thing she'd done in her 15 1/2 years of life; she's was about to admit to Rachel Barbra Berry that she had feelings for her, that she'd had feelings for her for over a year now and those feelings were far beyond the realm of friendship. If Rachel didn't feel the same then of course she would be hurt, devastated even, but she'd be happy if her little diva was happy. She unconsciously rubbed the leprechaun in her pocket and knocked again.

She sucked in a deep breath and smile weakly as the door pulled open and she came face to face with the object of her affections. She felt like fainting. Snap out of it. You are Quinn Fabray, first sophomore captain of the Cheerios. Guys and girls would kill to be with you. There's no way she can resist you.

"Quinn? Are you alright?" Rachel touched her arm and she smiled and nodded mutely.

"Well, come in, I just finished my latest video."

"What did you sing?" She asked finding her voice.

"Well, I took a page from Santana's numerous...uh...urgings that I do something more popular and sung; Hush, Hush by the Pussycat Dolls. I know that it doesn't do exact justice to my voice, but I figured that doing something the kids might know might possibly be beneficial, I suppose to show my versatility."

"I'm sure whatever you sing will sound beautiful..." Quinn said dreamily and then snapped herself out off it.

"How was practice?" Rachel asked going into the kitchen and Quinn followed hoping onto the stool that she always sat at.

"Um...you know, Coach was her usually bit-beastly self." She replied and Rachel giggled opening the cupboard and pulling out bread, peanut butter, and bananas.

"Oh, you don't have to do that..." Quinn moved to rise from her seat.

"Don"t you dare try to stop me, Quinn, after those workouts your always so ravenous. Besides, it's no trouble at all, you're my very best friend, Quinn."

Quinn deflated slightly, but was determined to push on. "You're my best friend too, Rach...and I uh..I came over here to talk to you..."

"Are you ok?" Rachel asked again setting a platter of sliced grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

"I promise I'm fine..."

"Then what's wrong? Do you not want to be friends anymore? I told you that being associated with me would bring you down...it's okay I understa-" Quinn cut her off by placing a hand over the other girl's mouth.

"Stop interrupting me this is hard enough as it is, Rach. So...okay...I um...I like you Rachel, I mean I really really like you. I've had a crush on you probably since the first day of school last year. I care about you probably more than just about anyone in the world and I was hoping that maybe you like me too and maybe you might go out with me?" She breath out heavily at the end and waited for Rachel to stay anything.

She sprang back remembering that her hand was still covering Rachel's mouth.

"I'm so sorry Rachel..." She whispered as her best friend sputtered.

"Quinn Fabray..." Rachel frowned and then smiled leaning across the bar to peck her quickly on the lips. "...sometimes you are so adorably clueless."

From that moment they were even more inseparable. The Cheerios won three more titles with Quinn at the helm and Rachel was in the risers with a sign that read: Team FaBerry, every single time. They both joined the Glee Club and their junior and senior years had them winning Nationals back to back.

She'd wanted to be with Rachel forever. She thought that they would be, but during their second semester the chips started stacking against them; Rachel got into Julliard just like she always dreamed, a full scholarship, but Quinn had only managed a partial scholarship to NYU. Her mother couldn't afford it on her own and her philandering father? Well since the divorce he'd shown himself to be absolutely no help at all. She hadn't gotten what she needed to go to New York with Rachel, but she did get a long-shot full ride to The Culinary Academy at Kendall College in Chicago. Rachel hadn't even known she'd mailed the application, that she'd had numerous interviews. She'd never thought she'd actually get in, but when she did she wanted nothing more than to go. She just didn't know how to make Rachel understand that. So, she'd done what she thought best, she ran.

She'd promised Rachel that she'd meet her at Lauren's bridal shower and then she just never showed. She never called. She tried to write, but scrapped every note. She knew that what she did was the right thing to do. Long distance relationships didn't work and High School love never lasted. Look at her parents, they'd been high school sweethearts and Russell had cheated on her repeatedly. He'd ran his household like a tyrant and they'd divorced before she turned sixteen. She didn't want that with Rachel, she didn't want to watch their love wither away. She'd rather be able to say that they went out on top.

"So, the apocalypse has finally arrived?" Santana mused propping herself up on a bar stool in Quinn's barely unpacked apartment.

"Is that what we're calling it nowadays?" Quinn took a sip of her wine.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I mean what would you call it? You guys went all this damn time not bumping into each other. Never when you went home to see Judes, not when you visited the Puckermans, not when you stopped by the hospital after Hiram had knee surgery, not when you stayed over night during Junior year when you were suppose to be on your way to Italy..that was totes stalkerish by the way. All that and you guys were basically ships passing in the night. And your in the City for not even three weeks and she just so happens to stroll into your shop? Screams apocalypse." The Latina popped a piece of cheese in her mouth.

"I saw her Junior year..."

"During your stalking, do elaborate..."

"She was gorgeous. I mean she's always gorgeous, but she was starring as, Elphaba in a small production of Wicked and even in green paint she was beautiful and she played that role fantastically. I saw her, but she never saw me and the next day I got on my plane and went to Italy."

"So, she's like the smurf of your dreams, right? Like you think she's smurferrific? So, why didn't you go up to her, sweep her off her feet?"

"Cuz, I mean what if she wasn't still my Rachel?"

"Chickenshit." Santana mumbled popping another cube of cheese in her mouth. "You were scared after graduation and you were scared seven years ago..shit you might be scared right now, who knew you had such a prevalent yellow streak, Q."

"Fuck. you. Santana." Quinn growled glaring at her hands in her lap and willing herself not to hit her friend.

"Shoot the messenger." Santana raised her hands in mock surrender. "Doesn't matter anyways she's probably got all sorts of girls..and guys trying to hook-up and from her immediate reaction to the mere sight of you I'm going to say you don't have a prayer."

"What are we praying about?" Brittany asked upon returning from the bathroom. She pulled up a stool between the two women. She leaned over to kiss Santana lightly on the cheek and then popped a piece of cheese in her mouth.

"Rachel." Santana answered her mouth full of cheese and wine.

"Chew then talk, babes..." The choreographer admonished and then turned to the other blonde "...so, you finally took my advice and called her?"

"Not exactly..."

"She means not at all..."

"Mind shutting up, Lopez?"

"Babes, let Quinnie speak."

"Mercedes and Rachel walked into Charmed today." Quinn mumbled.

"Oh? Well, that's how destiny works." Brittany smiled taking a sip of her own wine.

"It's not destiny, she doesn't want to see me and it's been too long for me to justify trying to make amends."

"I don't know about making men, but I think like me and San, you and Rach are just inedible." Brittany smiled brightly and neither woman had the heart to correct her this time, because truth be told they both want inevitability.

So? Thanks for all the alerts and whatnot..that's great...hope I'm still doing this idea justice...more to come...

Ink