Quinn dragged herself through her front door with a huff. Every inch of her body felt exhausted and every part of her yearned to collapse into her bed and pull her covers over her head and escape from her thoughts. The entire day her mind had been on a treadmill of confusion and frankly she was as mentally tired as she was physically. Making her way silently through her house she started for the stairs but Judy's voice slammed the door to the possibility of her plans.

"Quinn?" she said as she finished drying a dish, placing it carefully on top a few others that had accumulated by the sink. Unwillingly the blonde trudged her way into the kitchen and waited expectantly, maintaining a fairly polite expression which in the light of her mood she was highly impressed with.

"What is it?" she asked softly, making sure not to put her frustration onto her mom, Judy meant well, she just wasn't exactly able to get that across all the time.

"How was school?"

"Fine" she rolled her shoulders and hoped to God that would be the end of the discussion, but there was something unfamiliar in Judy's expression and the edge of sternness made Quinn question her intentions, she continued a little uneasily. "I was talking to Coach Sylvester today, I think she wants me back on the squad"

"That's not what I'm talking about" Judy remarked in a tone that suggested Quinn was some kind of five year old playing the I-Know-You-Are-But-What-Am-I game, this only frustrated the girl even more and she inhaled deeply to remain composed. An angry mother was the least of her problems right now so she really didn't feel like she wanted to do anything that could lead to an argument, simply because she just didn't have the energy left to win it. In truth she didn't even know what Judy was talking about at first, but then the thought formed and as soon as it did she hardly blamed her mom for the comment. She meant how was Charlie's first day, how was her twin sister that she hadn't seen for god knows how long first day in a new high school in a whole new town where she didn't know anyone but Quinn. Who hadn't said a word to her all day. Guilt threatened to break through, it wavered on the edge of her emotions and she did all she could to not let it consume her. Not because she thought she shouldn't be guilty, but because if she let her feel the guilt that she deserves she just didn't know whether she could cope with it. She was a horrible sister, a reckless daughter, and an even worse friend. No, she wouldn't think about. She just couldn't.

"I think she had a good day" Quinn reassured Judy, who by now had already slipped off her yellow dish gloves and hung them on the edge of the sink, returning to look at her daughter with a stern gaze. She knew how the rest would follow. Her mom would find out that Quinn hadn't even given Charlie a polite wave the whole day and she would be in for it. Where even was she? She was trapped, there was no way out of it. But then something changed in Judy's expression, she relaxed her posture and her gaze seemed almost relieved.

"I'm glad to hear that. She said she had a good day but I wasn't sure if she was just saying that to make me happy" Judy shared with an almost vulnerable tone. With a sigh she came over and wrapped her arms around her daughter, or as well as her petite frame could. Quinn also relaxed a little and leaned her head on her mom's shoulder. Judy squeezed her tight and let go, still holding onto her shoulders as she almost looked up at her. "Thank you for helping her, I can't imagine what she's going through. She told me you were great today and she couldn't have done it without you. I'm so proud of you Quinnie" she tucked a golden strand of Quinn's hair behind her ear and smiled gently then returned to her duty's. Yes, if Quinn had been feeling guilty before, now she didn't even know what to call this feeling. It was a feeling that she couldn't even stop from taking control of her. It broke her, destroyed her composure, shattering her coldness. She hated herself and what she'd done. "Oh she's upstairs by the way" Judy called as Quinn sprinted up in that direction anyways, big salty tears cascading down the curve of her cheek and her chest shaking so violently that she feared it would simply collapse. Running straight for her room she bashed through the door and fell into bed, clinging onto her sheets as the feeling ate away inside of her.

Quinn's eyes opened to almost complete darkness, a sense of panic and disorientation over threw her. Her eyes quickly scanned for her digital alarm clock that read 20:04, she'd been sleeping for almost four hours. But it didn't feel like it. She didn't feel refreshed or awake or even able to remember a glimpse of a dream, she felt like she'd just blacked out. The only thing confirming that she had actually fallen asleep was the blanket over her and the still fairly warm slices of bacon on a plate on her bed side table. She smiled weakly and wished she was hungry. Pulling the blankets closer she inhaled deeply and ran her fingers through her hair, giving her eyes a rub too. But soon she remembered all the things that had led to her sitting in this bed alone in the darkness and a weaker version of the feeling she experienced last night returned. Her back pressed against the wall she attempted to think about something else. Just then she heard a tap on her window. Looking over she saw nothing except the faint glisten of the street lights of Ohio and the few trees that covered her garden, the open road and houses decorating either side. She ignored it and looked away. It hit again. Twice. Three times. Quinn shoved the covers off and flung her legs over her bed, scrambling over to the window. She scanned below her and saw nothing. Creaking up the window she breathed in the warm sweet scent of the evening air but still saw nothing. Just beside her her reflection gleamed back, luminous crazed eyes moved in the dim twilight. Quinn screamed.

"Shh you're going to wake up the whole street!" Charlie exclaimed in a whisper to her twin. There she was, perched on the roof top that covered the porch. It was only 2 metres long outwards and sloped a little, but it ran across the front part of the house so Quinn was curious to why she hadn't thought about using it. Because she wasn't Charlie, that's why.

"Yeah right it's only nine" Quinn remarked arching her eyebrow.

"You were asleep" Charlie retorted in a matter of fact way. Quinn pursed her lips and looked down, she was right. "So you coming out?" Quinn looked down at the slope and then the fall and then back at the blonde shaking her head. "Oh come on, you wont fall, I promise" she stretched out her hand to Quinn. Rolling her eyes she opened the window a little more so she could get out and then took the girls hand a little hesitantly. However, she managed it. And there she was, knees tucked under, one hand clenching the window frame, the other her sisters, on a roof in Lima Ohio.

"I can't believe I'm doing this"

"Sitting on a roof?" Charlie chuckled in confusion and Quinn nodded. "I can't believe you haven't done it before"

"Me neither actually" her throat felt a little dry as she remembered what happened a few hours ago. She could feel her chest getting tighter and she let go of Charlie's hand. "We haven't done this in a while, huh"

"Be on a roof?"

"No. Be together. Talk, laugh...be us" she admitted staring into the darkness ahead of her. She listened to the faint sounds of the animals around her, the wind that rustled through the leaves sending a wave of calmness over her. "How long has it actually been?"

"Let's see" Charlie took in a deep breath "Well they divorced pretty much a week after out tenth birthday and then we just saw each other on Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Labour day, 4th of July, Thanks giving until our twelfth when dad moved to Phoenix so I'd say at least five years." Quinn thought about it and scanned through the dates in her mind, she remembered the presents and the decoration and how every event they grew further and further apart.

"It would've been only one. It should have been only one" she spoke out loud to herself, Charlie's eyebrows arched in a puzzled expression and in any other situation Quinn might've chuckled at the exact resemblance to her own classic expression. But her thoughts were not in a place of happiness. "When I had Beth" her name always sounded funny in her mouth and she'd get this immediate feeling in her stomach where she was, this always ended up in an instant placement of her hand in the exact same spot. It was unnoticeable to all except Charlie's eyes, which led to the softening of her expression. "I wanted you to see her before we gave her away. It's stupid actually, it would've just hurt you to get attached." She rolled her eyes but continued with a shaky breath "anyways, I didn't have the courage. She's got a great mom now too-" Quinn was stopped with something she never expected to happen, or at least in a long time. Charlie hugged her. No, not exactly a hug, Charlie held her. Never had anything felt more right in her life. Her arms holding her tight made Quinn feel more complete and safe than she ever had. Charlie didn't need words; this was all the words that Quinn could ever have hoped for in those five years. They stayed like that for a moment. A moment neither wanted to ever end. And like all beautiful moments, they're gone in a bat of an eyelash. Never to be relived again, never to be found, dispersed into just a memory.

"We better go inside" Quinn said as a blast of wind ran down her spine, the night was definitely dwelling. Suddenly she gained the courage and burst it out before she'd chicken out again "and I'm sorry for today. And yesterday."

"It's ok" Charlie said with a light shrug and a sincere look in her eye. "My day was actually not that bad, thankfully" there was an almost a smile to her lips and Quinn felt a little curious.

"Really? What did you do?"

"It's school Quinn, by not that bad I don't exactly mean I had the time of my life" she chuckled and Quinn couldn't help but give into a small grin. "But photography was great, and you guys have amazing dessert options. Also I met this really nice girl, she's incredible actually" Quinn watched Charlie's expression again with the same curiosity. Something wasn't right. She was happy, sure, but she could tell as she spoke about her here was more to it. The look in Charlie's eye, the way she smiled, the sound of her voice. There was definitely more to it. Who was that girl? She felt like she was sitting on a branch that just broke and she'd landed 100ft down on flat tarmac. Of course there was something more to that look, because it was her own look. The look she got when she liked someone. And if that meant that Charlie liked a girl, and if that girl was, no, it couldn't be. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

"Her names Rachel"

The branch snapped. But Quinn was bringing Charlie down with her.