Author's Note: It's been forever...I know.
Anywho, sorry about any mistakes in this chapter, it's loosely edited for mistakes and I'm half asleep.
Rachel is involuntarily pulled from her sleep by the sharp ringing of her doorbell. Stretching and sleepily glancing around her room she struggles to wake up. The ringing of the doorbell is promptly followed by four obnoxiously loud knocks and so the brunette tosses her blankets off and trudges out of her room and down the hallway to the stairs.
On her way to the front door the diva catches sight of a clock, alerting her to the current time which is 8:30. Rachel rarely sleeps so late—she's always up at dawn to begin her daily regimen but this morning she feels sluggish, exhausted even and her neck a little sore. Naturally the diva rolls her shoulders and rubs her neck but as soon as her hand makes contact with the wound she lets out a sound of discomfort and suddenly her memories of the previous night come rushing back.
Rachel halts mid-step, only a few feet from the front door and her impatient guest.
Blood. Vampires. Quinn.
Quinn!
Rachel quickly scans her living room for the blonde vampire she allowed to stay the night—no not allowed...insisted, she insisted that the blonde stay the night for her own safety.
Rachel is about to make her way to the kitchen in search of Quinn-hoping beyond reason that the bright eyed vampire is still there and hasn't left yet-when there's another knock on the door and a deep voice calls out.
"Rach. Are you home?"
Finn.
Rachel can't help the agitated sigh that falls from her lips upon realizing who it is at her front door.
Knowing she has to deal with Finn she takes one last glance around her living room to ensure Quinn isn't present before reaching for the door.
Pulling the door up the diva is greeted by the sight of her unusually tall boyfriend. He expels a relieved sigh when he lays eyes on his girlfriend.
"Thank God Rachel, I was worried about you last night," says the football player as he steps forward and wraps Rachel in a hug. "You said you'd call me back and you never did, and I tried calling you this morning and you didn't answer your phone."
Pulling back, Finn gives Rachel the once over and notices the bandage on her neck and that it's stained red.
"What happened to your neck," Finn exclaims.
Rachel tries to hide the injury by bringing her hand up the gash but it's useless effort, Finn has already seen it.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Finn delicately takes hold of Rachel's shoulders and leans in for a closer look at the wound but to no avail; it's covered and the diva takes a small step back out of his grasp.
Realizing she needs to come up with a story to explain her vampire bite, Rachel quickly runs through a list of possible scenarios.
I burnt myself with a straightener...no that wouldn't make me bleed. Oh! I can say it's a rash that I scratched raw...but ew. Maybe a severe bug bite or an allergic reaction? Ugh no! And why do these excuses sound like I'm trying to lie about a hickey?! Would he believe that a game of darts got out of hand and I ended up with two puncture wounds in my neck? Probably not.
The diva draws a blank and has no idea what to tell her boyfriend, although she knows the truth isn't an option.
"It's nothing serious Finn. I just had a minor mishap last night, which is also why I was unable to call you back."
Finn continues to stare at her neck anxiously. "What happened? Are you okay," he repeats.
Rachel holds in an irritated sigh.
I can appreciate that Finn is concerned for me, and on some level I feel cherished and adored by his intentions but currently that level is buried under 20 feet of mind-boggling new information and a staggering number of unanswered questions about vampires. I honestly just wish he would just drop it. I'll come up with a good story and tell him later, but as of right now I need him to leave so I can come up with that story...and also so I can attempt to locate Quinn.
"Yes Finn, I am okay. I apologize for not calling you back yesterday." Rachel can see that Finn is about to ask more questions so she curtly puts a stop to them.
"Look Finn, I really am sorry but could we please finish this later? I've got some very important things to take care of before my dads return." Without waiting for a response from the football player the diva continues, "I'll meet you at Breadstix at one o'clock and we can talk then."
Rachel steps forward quickly and pushes on to the tips of her toes to peck Finn on the cheek, he leans down instinctively to allow her but still has an unsure look on his face. "I'll see you later," she rushes out and hurriedly steps back over the threshold and into her house before closing the door with a click.
She waits a moment to see if Finn will knock again and after several seconds pass she tries to look through the peephole but is just a hair too short.
Rachel hears a chuckle from behind her and spins around to find the source.
"He's gone," Quinn says coolly from her spot leaning against a wall near the kitchen with her arms crossed.
"How do you know," challenges the diva.
The blonde uncrosses her arms and saunters towards the diva. "Because I can hear his footsteps." Stopping a few feet from Rachel, Quinn furrows her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side. She listens for a moment then continues, "And now he's pulling out of your driveway."
Rachel peers at the blonde disbelievingly. "How could you know? I didn't hear anything," she protests.
The blonde gestures to the door, signaling Rachel to look and see for herself. The diva scrambles to the door and pulls it open just in time to catch Finn's truck vanishing around the corner.
"How did you know that," she inquires while closing the door.
"Just one of the perks of being a vampire," Quinn answers, "We've got really good hearing."
Rachel nods her head in understanding, "So that's one of the myths about vampires that actually turns out to be true," she reasons. "What else is true?"
The blonde gazes at Rachel amused, "You've been awake for less than ten minutes and you've already started in on your interrogation." Quinn chuckles and shakes her head slightly.
"Inquisition," Rachel cleverly corrects, "But what did you think was going to happen? I'd wake up and we would eat breakfast and discuss the weather?"
One side of the vampire's mouth quirks up in a half smile, "Well, I hadn't planned on talking about the weather, but if you want to I'd be happy to contribute to that conversation."
The diva huffs, not falling for Quinn's deflection, so she continues, "But I thought you would at least want to eat breakfast before beginning your 'inquisition.'" She smiles down at Rachel and properly takes in her appearance for the first time in the light of day.
The bandage on her neck is stained with blood but it smells stale so the bleeding has stopped, but both of her eyes have dark bags under them. I heard her wake up last night and shuffle around her room briefly before laying back down. She must have not gotten enough sleep though because I could hear her tossing and turning half the night. At the very least she needs to eat something to restore some color to her skin. Even though Rachel isn't as pale now as she was last night, I can still tell her normal skin tone is a few shades darker than what it currently is.
"I do have a bit of an appetite," Rachel admits and quickly wonders if Quinn eats normal food.
However, before she can ask Quinn cuts in, "I guessed that you would and that's why I took the liberty of bringing you breakfast."
The small brunette falters for a moment and forgets her question. Caught off guard by the thoughtful gesture it takes a moment for Rachel to notice the satisfied grin on Quinn's face.
The diva beams back earnestly and thanks Quinn, who indicates that her breakfast is in the kitchen.
Rachel walks ahead of the blonde so she takes the opportunity to study the girl in front of her. Rachel's long hair is no longer falling freely down her back as it was last night but is now tied up in a messy bun. A bun that Quinn can't quite figure out why she finds it so unbelievably attractive despite its usual off-putting effect. The diva's swaying hips draw her eyes downward and Quinn forces herself to look elsewhere.
I refuse to act like a teenage boy who is unable to control his wondering eyes, Quinn declares to herself.
Unfortunately, the blonde's chivalrous plan backfires because she instead finds herself taking in Rachel's long toned legs. The pink sleep shorts provide enough cover to leave something to the imagination but at the same time they put on display her seemingly endless legs.
How can someone so short have such lengthy legs?
"Don't think you're free and clear just yet," Rachel's voice breaks in once they reach the kitchen.
The blonde expression is one of guilt, positive that she has just been caught staring.
Smiling brightly the diva continues, "Bringing me breakfast definitely earns you some brownie points, however it won't be enough to get you out of this conversation we're about have."
Rachel takes her seat at the table and reaches for the brown bag that's placed near the edge. Quinn quickly composes herself, thankful she wasn't just caught red-handed despite her best intentions. Taking a seat across from the smaller girl Quinn responds, "I really wasn't trying to get out of the conversation, I promise. I just wanted to make sure you were taken care of first." The honesty in the blonde's voice makes Rachel pause in her task of unpacking the breakfast bag. When hazel eyes connect with brown, the brunette feels a shiver run down her spine as she takes in the sincerity behind Quinn's bright eyes.
The vampire immediately realizes that she's made the moment much too serious and attempts to lighten it.
"And I really wanted the brownie points too," she grins easily, "It doesn't hurt to have some points racked up, never know when I might need to cash them in."
Rachel smiles softly and pulls out the last container from the bag then suddenly gapes when she realizes what Quinn brought for breakfast.
The blonde notices the look on the smaller girl's face right away and assumes something is wrong. "What is it Rachel? Is something wrong with the food," she questions anxiously. Quinn thought she picked out something the tiny diva would enjoy and even bought a couple extra things just in case.
Shaking her head she replies, "No actually, it's perfect. This is all vegan. How did you know I'm vegan," she wonders before holding up her index finger, "No wait, let me guess," she instructs Quinn who only smirks expectantly after realizing she hadn't made a mistake. "I bet it's some other strange vampire perk right? Like, you can smell that I haven't eaten or consumed animal products in years." Quinn just raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, a veil of coolness cloaking her features. "Or maybe you can sense my dietary habits due to your superiority as a vampire. Since you're essentially the top of the food chain it makes sense that through evolution you could gain advantages over lower lying creatures."
This time the diva's guesswork has the blonde torn between bewilderment and utter amusement.
Rachel stops short and her eyes go wide, "OR," she emphasizes, "Or, vampires have some kind of special mind reading capabilities that assist them in hunting and capturing their prey...but since you don't hunt people down," the brunette continues her rant with bulging eyes, "you used your mind reading capabilities to discover what I would eat for breakfast!"
Rachel's final declaration causes Quinn to lose it, her carefully placed mask of nonchalance slips and gives way to amusement. The blonde vampire bursts out laughing, unable to control it though she tries futilely to do so with one hand over her mouth and the other grasping at her stomach.
As the diva watches her protector struggle to contain her elated reaction, she realizes that her theories were probably way off the mark.
Only something absolutely ludicrous could cause Quinn—the composed and confident vampire- to have this kind of reaction, Rachel reasons and laughs a bit at her previous absurdity. Although... I wouldn't mind getting to see more of this side of Quinn. Her laugh is musical and her entire temperament has shifted into something free and unfettered. It's alluring. And frightening. Quinn is still essentially a stranger and on top of that she is a vampire. This is the second time I've found myself concerned about my lack of concern. I know I should be taking more precautions but there's just something about Quinn that puts me at ease, something that makes me feel safe around her. I can't yet explain what it is but I hope she sticks around long enough for me to find out.
The blonde is finally able to calm herself down and rein in her laughter much to Rachel's disappointment. "You may be small but your imagination is most definitely full grown," she chuckles, reclining back in her chair.
Rachel rolls her eyes jokingly. "I'll have you know that every one of those theories are possible," she refutes while taking a bite of her blueberry oatmeal waffle.
"Or," Quinn suggests, "Or, you left some vegan takeout menus on your coffee table and I saw them last night while safeguarding your house from wondering vampires." The blonde smiles smugly as Rachel chooses to finish her breakfast in silence but the red her cheeks say everything.
After Rachel finishes breakfast, her and Quinn head to the living room and make themselves comfortable for the long talk they know is coming. Quinn takes her seat in a stylish armchair and Rachel decides on the love-seat, the two of them sitting directly across the room from each other.
"So I'm guessing that vampires don't eat regular food," the diva starts, "since you didn't eat anything for breakfast."
The blonde shrugs her shoulders in a noncommittal way before answering. "We can but there's no nutrients in it for us, it's pointless unless we're trying to blend. Not to mention our taste-buds function differently too, most foods don't taste the same as they used to."
Rapidly coming up with her next question Rachel asks, "So other than eating, what else do vampires do to blend in?"
Quinn considers the question for a moment, trying to recall everything she does but in all honesty, she's been doing it for so long it's become second nature and she rarely even realizes she's doing it.
"It's a long list truthfully, but the most significant ways we can blend is through eating, breathing and being out in the sun."
Quinn is aware that she's opened a whole other line of questioning for Rachel to pursue with her answer, but she genuinely wants to explain it all to the brunette; she wants it all out in the open so that Rachel can clearly and conclusively make a decision in regards to Quinn.
Quinn knows that Rachel is comfortable around her right now. The small diva has only been fearful in her presences twice, the first being the hospital parking garage, which is entirely understandable, and the second being when she woke up disoriented in bed, which is also understandable. But since then the diva has been complacent in Quinn's company, so much so that she requested the blonde spend the night.
The problem is, how will Rachel feel towards the vampire once she knows everything? Will the diva want to continue to see Quinn, or will she want to cut all contact? The anxiety of not knowing is what's pushing Quinn to offer up this information.
"Wait a minute," Rachel interjects, "you don't breath?"
She looks dumbfounded and Quinn smiles shyly, "Well, I do—to appear more normal—but it's not necessary."
Rachel looks like she wants to grab a pen and paper and write all of this down but she refrains from doing so. Instead she asks, "So you can be in sunlight...obviously," she gestures from the window to the blonde, sunlight clearly bouncing off her pale skin, "Without your skin sparkling," she adds in jest, " So I guess that is another myth about vampires?"
Much to Rachel's surprise Quinn shakes her head, "Actually that is true, most vampires can't walk around freely in the daylight." Seeing a look of puzzlement on the brunette's face Quinn explains, "The only way a vampire can move around in the daylight is with help from a witch."
Rachel stares with wide unblinking eyes, the blonde's answer unintentionally bringing forth an overwhelming feeling quickly followed by bizarre hypothetical scenarios that would likely never happen.
"Ho- how does that work," the diva questions hesitantly.
"Hmm," Quinn responds, resting her chin in her hand thoughtfully, "I don't really know the intricacies of the process but ultimately it comes down to a witch casting a spell on an object, usually a piece of jewelry, and the wearer is protected from the sunlight."
The brunette's eyes immediately scan Quinn's body for pieces of jewelry and stops on her hand. With her chin in her hand, Rachel can clearly see a small gold ring resting on the blonde's index finger.
"Your ring?"
Quinn nods her head slightly, "Yes. A friend of mine made this for me."
"So you're a vampire who also happens to be friends with a witch," the diva inquires pointedly.
Hazel eyes meet brown at the mention of her friend and she chuckles, "Best friends actually. We've known each other for as long as I can remember and she's always had my back."
Rachel offers a small smile at the way the blonde's eyes light up at the mention of her friend while simultaneously trying to ignore the longing in her own chest. The diva has never had a best friend, or even someone she would consider a friend outside of the school. Finn is the closest thing Rachel has but he's her boyfriend so it's not quite the same. "Must be nice," she utters faintly.
Before Quinn can respond however, the diva veers off track with her questions, "How did you two meet?"
The Quinn is momentarily stunned by the unexpected question but answers nonetheless. "Um, we met in a church ironically. There was a nasty storm tearing through this little town I was passing through, and most of the residents gathered in the local church to wait out the storm. It was logical because it was located on higher ground and was unlikely to flood, but I also think that people were getting desperate. Most of the homes and structures in the lower regions had been swept away and God was their only solace. Anyway, when I stepped through the doors of the church I saw everyone either sitting or kneeling with their heads bowed down in prayer."
Smiling at the memory Quinn continues, "Well, everyone except one girl near the back of the chapel. So I walked over to her and asked 'why aren't you praying with everybody else' and she looked me right in the eye and said with a straight face 'I can't. Whenever I pray, I fall asleep.'" A huge grin covers the blonde's face and Rachel can't keep the amused expression off hers. "I couldn't help but laugh when she said that, it had to have been the funniest thing I'd heard in weeks. She was confused about why I was laughing because she was being absolutely serious about falling asleep while praying and that just made it all the more gratifying.
"We became fast friends after the storm and I later learned that she was a witch. Amazingly, she already knew of my true nature from the moment I walked into that church but she also said she knew that she could trust me. Since then Brittany has been my best friend."
The brunette nods her head in understanding but the sense of longing is still lodged within her. "Does she live here in Lima?"
For reasons unknown to Rachel, the thought of Quinn's best friend living in Lima irked her. The diva has already resolved that she wants the blonde to stick around, vampiric status be damned. Outside of the fact that Quinn is indeed a vampire, Rachel still finds herself drawn to certain parts of the blonde's personality.
Vampire or not, Quinn has all the makings of a good friend, which is something I could genuinely use right now. Confidence and sincerity are hard traits to come by as it is, but Quinn possesses both in abundance. Unfortunately, the possibility of her best friend living nearby just reduces any prospect of us becoming more than acquaintances. Who am I to compete with Sabrina the best friend?
Quinn nods her head affirmatively and readjusts in her seat. "We've got a place over on the east side of Lima," she supplies.
Rachel can't control the irrational envy that rips through her at Quinn's admission. "So you two live together," the diva asks almost accusingly.
"Yeah, we've pretty much always lived together, barring a few extenuating circumstances," discloses the blonde. "Even though sharing a house has its perks, it most definitely has its downsides too."
"What possible downside could there be to living with your best friend," Rachel drags out.
Just then a ringing sound splits the air and Quinn makes a peeved face while yanking her phone from her pocket. "Well for starters," she announces, "when your best friend's girlfriend happens to be a werewolf who sheds on everything and doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word housekeeping." The blonde raises an eyebrow at her phone screen and quips, "And whaddaya know, speak of the devil."
Another Author's Note: For those of you following my other story My Sunshine, it will be updated next week.
Thanks for reading and feel free to review and tell me what you thought.