"When did you know you were a hit? What the actual moment when you said 'oh my God' we've made it- we are a hit?" Rita asked, pushing her glasses up on her nose.

"For me, it didn't sink in until the first tour. That's when I finally realized how huge this whole thing had become," Quinn replied.

"I think that I knew it was different from anything else I'd worked on. I knew we were very quickly becoming successful but I didn't realize how successful. There had been hints but nothing that really sunk in. I went into a Duane Reade on a trip to New York for Upfronts and ended up signing autographs for like an hour outside of the building. That was certainly a first but no one really recognized me in the airport or followed me anywhere after Upfronts," Rachel breathed.

"What about bodyguards?"

"For events it became necessary," Rachel nodded.

"Yes, very quickly. Events and airports. That was surreal. The first time we ever got stalked at an airport. We were coming back from a press circuit in London and suddenly we were all mobbed," Quinn explained, seeming to go off into her own world while talking about it.

"So season one, you did mall tours, you did little press junkets, you did the network upfronts, and then you went to London…was that the first time that fame became a real thing and a sometimes scary thing?" Rita questioned gently.

"It was very different from what I thought it was going to be," Quinn replied after a moment.

"Even in your wildest dreams, you're not really prepared for it. You always think you're prepared. I followed the careers of Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion- even following Britney Spears…I thought I had some idea of what that must be like. You kind of think in the back of your mind that it must be a little unsettling to lose your privacy. Still, you're not really prepared. A thought in the back of your mind is totally different from having it thrown right in front of your face. Suddenly, everything you do is open to public scrutiny," Rachel agreed with wide eyes.

LAX

Ten years ago

The show had aired a few months ago. In the US, three episodes aired before the World Series began. The cast was asked to sing at the opening game as another promotional tactic. Rachel had stunned with her rendition of the National Anthem, accompanied by the rest of the cast as backup. That was the moment that marked the internet SING! craze. Online blogs began buzzing about this tiny diva with the big voice who simply killed the Star Spangled Banner. Perez Hilton hailed that Rachel Berry's version was the best since Whitney Houston.

The buzz began. Entertainment shows started airing quick segments about SING! and its cast. Chase had his first major interview with Access Hollywood. Things were finally starting to take off. By the time the first six episodes had aired, SING! was a household name and various cast members kept receiving calls to grace the covers of magazines, though it seemed nobody knew their names or faces in separation from their characters. As individuals, they still had privacy.

The promotional team had been going crazy. They booked a mall tour as soon as they finished filming the first thirteen episodes. The main cast members were sent to six cities to promote album sales for the soundtrack of season one. At most, a hundred to two hundred people showed up. It was still a larger scale than the fifty or so waiting outside the stage door that Rachel had been used to. Yet it hadn't been as overwhelming as she would've thought.

Quinn had previously done a mall tour for Champs at different Hot Topics when the store had released Champs t-shirts. Those fans had been a little intense. Her first mall tour consisted of a lot of teenage vampire fanatics. The SING! mall tour had been, surprisingly, people of all ages. It hadn't been overwhelming, but it was not at all what she had expected. The paparazzi may not have been able to pick her name out from the rest in a cast line up, but the fans knew who Quinn Fabray was. They weren't shouting out Sam Ripley or Addison, her Champs character. They were actually shouting Quinn's name.

Just a few weeks earlier, she and Rachel had taken that weekend trip to San Francisco and no one had known. They hadn't bothered to attempt to fly under the radar or worry about security. There hadn't been any need. She and Rachel had become roommates and there wasn't a huge story about it all over the news. The show had attention but the cast members as individuals weren't garnering any notice outside of their budding fan-base. However, six weeks later, even that was starting to change.

They had been scheduled to go to London to promote the series launch overseas. Both former Ohio natives had never been to the UK or anywhere outside of the continental US. They had been thrilled for the opportunity.

At LAX, Chase had been stopped by a paparazzo. The rest of the cast wasn't stopped. The man had noticed Chase, probably due to his height and asked him where he was headed. He snapped a few pictures and asked him which film he was promoting in London. That was the moment Chase realized the guy clearly thought Chase was someone else.

They had all teased Chase about actually thinking he had been famous for a day. Maybe that had given them a false sense of anonymity. They were fully unprepared for what awaited them as soon as they touched down in London. They had been greeted at the airport upon arriving with screams from fans and signs sporting their real names. The series had just premiered there and the fans were going insane. Literally two episodes had aired by the time they arrived the reception had clearly been warm.

They had spent hours each day signing autographs at every location they went to for press and again each time they returned to their hotel. Photographs were taken everywhere. When they all went sightseeing paparazzi trailed their every move. It had never been like that in America. They'd gotten press at events but never just traveling or eating dinner. The London photographers snapped shots of all of them outside a restaurant for Matt's birthday. It had been crazy.

None of them had expected such a welcome.

"Now I know what it means to be famous," Courtney laughed as they all settled into their seats for the flight back to the States.

"Phenomenal really, but I am so happy to be going home," Rachel sighed, leaning her head against Quinn's shoulder as the two linked arms.

"Me too. It'll be nice to go back to being mostly ignored," Quinn agreed kissing the top of Rachel's head.

As the cast had grown closer, the two roommates had become inseparable. Their past, combined with all of these new experiences, had led to a friendship much deeper than either girl had expected to ever have with a former high school nemesis. Quinn was amazed by how affectionate she had become toward Rachel. She'd never been like that with any of her other friends. Maybe slightly more affectionate with Mark, her former roommate, but she never felt the need to wrap him up in her arms and protect him.

"That was nuts," Scott laughed, still buzzing. "I signed some girl's upper boob."

"I bet you could've signed more than that. Those girls were crazy for us," Matt chuckled.

"Not just us. Did you see Fabray?" Chase teased, leaning back over the seat in front of the girls to wink at Quinn. "Talk about getting some. The ladies were throwing themselves at you. Who knew?"

Quinn flushed and pulled away from Rachel. Her sexuality was well known within the cast but nothing had been said to the press. While they were all constantly fielding questions about their love lives while in London, it had been decided that none of them would discuss relationships with the public at this point in their careers. Once some of the buzz had settled, they could reveal who was actually taken and who was single. Nobody had bothered to question Quinn's sexuality in the press. She was always avoiding questions of which male cast member was the hottest and if she had a lucky fellow waiting in the states. David had been the only cast member to be asked point blank about his sexuality but Rachel had quickly jumped in with an anecdote about her two fathers and how all of the cast sported LGBT rights.

"I don't know. I think they were all just excited to see us," Quinn said shyly.

"They wanted to see you naked," Matt smirked.

"Shut up, Gilbert. I hate you," Quinn laughed.

The rest of the trip passed in relative silence. They mostly slept. London had been exhausting. Even their layover in Boston was pretty quiet. Half of the cast slept sprawled out across the seats in the airport. Rachel curled up against Quinn with her legs tucked underneath herself while the blonde sipped on a coffee and read a book. She hadn't even realized Rachel fell asleep while leaning on her shoulder until Brooke had nudge the little brunette that it was time to board.

"Sleep alright?" Quinn asked, with an amused grin.

Rachel rolled her eyes and attempted to fix her hair.

"Have you slept at all?" Rachel countered.

Quinn nodded to the book in her hands and Rachel laughed. She often found the blonde passed out on their couch with a different book across her chest. Once Quinn started a classic, she couldn't stop. She'd read on set. She'd read at home. She'd read on the plane. London had taken away most of her leisure reading so Quinn was trying to make up for it by finishing For Whom the Bell Tolls before they returned to LA.

"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed," Scott groaned as they waited by luggage claim.

"I can't wait to grab an In & Out burger," Chase laughed.

Rachel rolled her eyes and smacked him in the stomach. Quinn was leaning against the wall trying to block out the rest of her friends. She shut the book with a satisfied grin. Hemingway completed.

Brooke and Courtney sprang to their feet as the baggage carousel came to life. Matt and Chase took turns grabbing bags from everyone despite the insistence of airport personnel to help them with all of their bags. Everything got loaded onto carts to take to the cars waiting outside.

Carl Woodland, one of the show's many assistants was there to corral the cast and make sure everyone got home safely. It was the first time the show had sent someone to the airport with the car service. Rachel and Quinn frowned at each other, watching Carl's stiff and tense movements.

It all became clear once they pushed through the doors to the curbside pickup. It was like being back in London all over again. Paparazzi rushed them. Flashes going off all over the place, video cameras thrust in their faces, and questions flying from every direction.

"How was London?"

"Ready to start filming?"

"How does it feel to be home?"

"Rachel, were you and Chase on a dinner date?"

"Brooke, is it true you broke up with your boyfriend for one of the show's writers?"

"Quinn, are you and Matt sleeping together?"

"Courtney, how do you feel about Quinn and Matt?"

"Matt, Courtney or Quinn? Who are you with? Both?"

"David, the London press was running stories that you're gay? Are you coming out?"

"Is Lemily real life?"

"Rachel did you and Chase share a hotel room?"

Everyone was momentarily stunned. Fame landed overnight while they were out of the country. Rachel was rooted to the spot as a TMZ cameraman thrust his camera right in her head. Quinn ducked her head, grabbed Rachel's hand, and took off towards the nearest car.

"Rachel, tell us about Chase? Is it true love?"

"Rachel, did you stay in the same room with your boyfriend?"

"Quinn what about Matt?"

Quinn opened the door and nearly shoved Rachel inside with all their bags. Rachel squeaked and unceremoniously flopped into the car. Quinn jumped in quickly and slammed the door.

"What the hell was that?" Rachel shrieked as they pulled away from the curb.

Only then did she realize that Quinn was nearly having a panic attack.

"Quinn? Oh God. Are you okay?" Rachel asked, worry written all over her face.

Quinn tried to catch her breath but couldn't seem to get it together. She couldn't get her breath. She was panicking.

"Quinn, I need you to breathe," Rachel gasped, grabbing Quinn's face.

Quinn's hazel eyes were wild and Rachel tried to get her to focus on her own breath. She pulled Quinn's face toward her own, attempting to get her to focus on anything.

"Come on, Quinn. Breathe with me. I need you to breathe, babe," Rachel cooed softly.

"Everything okay back there?" the drive asked.

"Just take us home," Rachel ordered, keeping her attention on Quinn.

Quinn's eyes seemed to come back into to focus and locked on Rachel's watery brown ones.

"That's it. Come on, sweetie. Just breathe with me. That's my girl. You're okay, honey. You're okay," Rachel promised as Quinn slowly came back to herself.

"I'm okay," Quinn nodded, still breathing deeply.

Rachel nodded with her, "You're okay baby."

"I'm okay," Quinn repeated.

After a few more moments, the blonde seemed calm again.

"What was that?" Rachel asked cautiously.

"I don't know. I just…I panicked. They were all there and…there were so many flashes and…I couldn't find you," Quinn answered with teary eyes.

"Honey, you were holding my hand the whole time," Rachel sighed.

"I know that but…he asked me," Quinn whispered.

"Who did? What did they ask?"

"He asked me if I was lesbian," Quinn answered shakily.

They were both silent. Rachel contemplated immediately calling Alan. He was their ultimate boss. He would know how to handle any situation. Quinn was so protective of her sexuality. It had taken months for her to come out to the cast. She knew Alan would know what to say. However, she would have to use one of her hands to use her phone to call Alan. Quinn had a death grip on both of her hands. She took a breath and decided that what Quinn needed in that moment wasn't Alan Peters advice. She needed her best friend. Rachel could definitely do that.

"Who asked you that?"

"One of the reporters. There were so many questions and I wasn't answering anything. Then the one just said it. 'Have you heard from Jessica' and I paused. It was only a second, a millisecond. I couldn't breathe. The pause was the only confirmation he needed. He asked if it was true I was a lesbian. You saw what happened with David. They're jumping all over him now. Then they kept asking about Matt and…we never talk about it. None of us. We've all tried to stay so quiet," Quinn shook her head, closing off again.

"It's changing, isn't it?" Rachel asked already knowing the answer.

"This must be how the big time feels," Quinn sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the seat.

"I'll call Alan in the morning. I think we can basically kiss our private lives goodbye for a while."

Rachel's phone rang a few moments later. It was Scott calling to make sure the girls got out of there okay. He explained that Courtney immediately went into some strange Mama Bear mode and got David out of there as fast as possible. Brooke, Chase, and Matt stayed and tried to steer the reports away from certain lines of questioning and answer as many questions about the trip as possible to give them all good stories instead of printing about the chaotic sprint of several of the show's leads. Scott said that Chase had really dealt with the press the best and that he felt that thanks to those three that most of it would blow over. Scott assured them that they all had nothing to worry about.