Coffee and Confessions:

Quinn slept a deep sleep that night whereas Rachel tossed and turned and barely dozed. Rachel's head was spinning with all the things she wanted to say to the blonde. She didn't know whether she should berate the cheerleader for how she'd treated her in the past or if she should let bygones be bygones and get to know the adult Quinn Fabray. The Quinn Fabray who'd published a novel about overcoming boundaries and forming proper friendships, Rachel believed that the Quinn she would soon be meeting is the one she'd have loved to have known and been friends with during high school.

Both awoke at similar times that morning, Quinn bounced out of bed and into the shower, whereas across the city, Kurt had to drag Rachel out of bed and throw her in the shower. Quinn had texted Rachel not long after their phone call and asked if they could meet at the coffee shop near her apartment. Quinn had picked an intimate coffee shop where she often visited when she needed some time that wasn't filled with books.

Quinn was the first to arrive at the coffee shop where she settled into her favourite corner and pulled out a book to read while she waited. She'd told Rachel to meet her at 11:00 and it was approaching 10:45. Quinn knew that the brunette would be either bang on time or late, she highly doubted she'd be early. Tucked safely in the bottom of the blonde's bag was the note that she was to give Rachel. She checked her phone for any messages from Lindsay, but once again, her editor appeared to be very busy. Quinn had sent her more work last night, just to keep her occupied today. Quinn didn't need her interrupting her time with Rachel.

The clock's hands slowly made their way around to eleven and Quinn began watching the doors, hoping for her first glimpse of the brunette she'd loved for so long. Quinn closed her book and put it back in her bag, unable to concentrate on the words anymore. The clock ticked on and shortly after 11:10 the doors opened and the diva made her grand entrance. She checked around the coffee shop and failed to see Quinn. The blonde stood up and waved her arms, catching the brunette's attention. Rachel made her way over to the table, as she walked over Quinn moved around the table to greet her.

"Hi." Quinn said as the diva approached. She bent down and captured the diva in a brief hug, she needed the diva to know that she wasn't going to hurt her.

"Hi Quinn." Rachel replied, leaning into the hug. All of the animosity Rachel intended on feeling suddenly jumped out of her thoughts. Quinn broke the connection and Rachel felt herself almost whimper at the loss of contact.

"How're you?" Quinn asked, hoping to keep the atmosphere light.

"I'm good, busy, but I'm good and you?"

"The same in all honesty." Quinn replied. There was an awkward silence between the two former foes as they tried to find some common ground now that they were both adults. The blonde suddenly stood up. "What are you drinking? I waited until you arrived before I ordered." She asked.

"Oh, herbal tea, I've got a show this evening, so I'm not permitted to drink coffee." The brunette replied.

Quinn moved over to the counter and briefly glanced back at the table she had just vacated. The brunette scanned the room; she was impressed at the blonde's choice. It was quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The blonde made her way back to the table as the brunette brought her purse out and tried to hand Quinn some money.

"Oh don't be silly. Put that away." The blonde said, waving her hands. "How do you want to do this?" She continued.

"This?" The brunette replied.

"Should we get what we came to do over and done with, or can we spend some time getting to know each other?" The blonde asked gently. She wanted the atmosphere to remain calm so Rachel would finally feel comfortable around her. That would be a fantastic start.

"Well I have a bit of time, so I guess I can stay and chat for a bit." She said with a slight smile.

"How did you get into writing for a living?" Rachel asked.

"Well I started in college and it let me escape from the boring college environment. I was sick of dating, sick of hearing the same gossip and I just needed to find somewhere that wasn't where I was. I'd always enjoyed reading and I was majoring in classic literature so I guess it sort of just came from that. I wanted people to escape from their life into my novel. I wanted my words to engulf them so that they forgot all semblance of time." The blonde explained. Quinn held onto Rachel's gaze as she spoke hoping to see the brunette's eyes light up as she spoke.

"I can definitely say that you managed that, Quinn. I was hooked from the first page. I don't know if that's to do with the mystery of not knowing who the sender was, or I was genuinely captured by what you'd written. I felt like I could relate to your protagonist which is something words often fail around me." Rachel replied enthusiastically.

Quinn felt her face begin to burn up, Rachel had enjoyed her novel and she'd been able to relate to the protagonist. 'That's exactly what I wanted you to feel.' Quinn thought. They picked up their cups and sipped their drinks, figuring out what they should say next. Quinn was the first to speak.

"Are your dreams everything you hoped they'd be, Rachel?"

"Yes." The diva lied. "The stage, the music, the acting; it's everything I thought it would be."

"Can I ask you a question then?" The diva nodded in response.

"You said on the phone that the note had said to remove the envelope when it all got too much, but I don't understand, what was getting too much?"

"Just life." The diva replied bluntly.

"Care to expand?" Quinn asked eager to find out what was going on in the diva's immediate life.

"Not really. I think it's something that I can't explain until I've figured everything out." She replied honestly. She sipped her drink again, observing Quinn from the top of her cup.

"Rachel, I know that we have so much history that I could easily write a book on it..." Quinn began as she intently gazed at the brunette sitting across the table from her. 'Actually I did write a book about you, you just haven't figured that out yet'. Quinn thought before she continued. "...but I genuinely want to apologise for that, like I said on the phone, I was stupid and the pressures of being in high school and wanting the popularity got to me. I wish I could take it all back, but would we both be sat here today if I hadn't?"

"What do you mean Quinn?" The brunette asked hoping that Quinn would continue with her apology, Rachel felt that's the least she deserved.

"If I hadn't been so mean to you and watched how you overcame that and how you forged stronger friendships, friendships I could only dream about then would we be sitting here today?"

"I'm still not sure I follow..." The brunette said. Quinn was trying to tell her something and she just couldn't piece it together.

'Do I have to spell it out for you?' Quinn thought. She watched as the diva tried to figure everything out.

Quinn sighed. "Rachel, the book's about you."