The music fades into the background as they shift side to side. Quinn looks into Puck's eyes trying to picture the moment she just had with Rachel. Her soft lips, her small breathes and the intensity that built as Quinn got closer.

"What?" She smiles as he questions her. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I feel kinda fat right now." She pulls him by the tie and kisses him. After a minute of lip locking he pulls away.

"Seriously Q?" She smiles at him. "That kiss was all for Berry wasn't it." He wipes his lips clean with the back of his hand.

She smiles widely, "Was it that obvious?"

"That was the most alive action you've done with me." He smiles back combing her hair to the side with his hand. "Look at my girl all grown up and in love."

"Shut up Puck." She pulls him into another kiss and he pulls away instantly.

"I will not stand and let you use me." He laughs and backs away from the blonde with his hand surrendering. "What if Rachel saw?"

She looks away, "She wouldn't care. After all wouldn't it be best to be together." She stares into his eyes as he shakes his head.

"Q, we been through this before." He loved the girl but she didn't feel the same way and he promised himself that no matter what happened he would be there for her. "You been through this before." He looks at her in disappointment. "If you really love the girl don't repeat the same mistakes and for god sakes tell her."

He gets on one knee. "It hurts me to see you this way. All these years of masking your feelings and I had no clue." He holds her hands, "Please don't do this again, for Rachel or any other girl you come to like."

She looks at him fighting off every tear building upon her eyes, "-but I can't help it." She tries hard not to break down right in front of him but it was no use. "As much as it hurts- I can't help it."She grips onto Puck's dress shirt and cries into it. He continues to hold her even though his shirt becomes damp.

Even though the blonde used boys to suppress her feelings for Rachel it just hurt more. It felt good to kiss someone and pretend it was her but in between kisses it felt painful because she wasn't kissing the one she loved; because it didn't change the fact that the odds were against her. Only when she tortured her in the hall of McKinley did she feel more connected. The feelings she felt for the girl was being expressed and it was being reciprocated. Maybe not in a positive way but it was enough for her because she felt apart of Rachel held onto her and she did as well.

He looks at the trembling girl, "Promise me you won't do this ever again." She shakes her head and bites her lip. "-or at least try to find another way. Look I know you guys been close lately-" "Maybe that's it- maybe you just need to continue to be her friend."

"Puck.." She lets go of his shirt. "I don't think I can handle being her friend anymore." There are tears in his eyes now and he wipes it.

"What are you going to do then?" The music changes into a fast beat and the atmosphere breaks.

"Where is Rachel?" She wipes her tears. "She should of been back by now."

"Maybe she has a lot to deal with."

"Stay with me till she comes back?"

"Of course."

Thirty minutes pass and no Rachel is yet to return.

What's taking her so long.

The dance ends soon.

I wanted to dance at least one more slow song.

"Maybe she got lost or worse trapped in a closet or something."

"Should we look for her?"

"Can we please?" He smiles and leads the way.

They scurry around the hospital asking everyone if they came across a short brunette with a candy stripper uniform on. But no one had seen her. They searched the parking lots, facilities, and even the janitor's closets.

Eventually, they gave up when it was too dark to search for her and returned to the room in defeat. It was well over twelve o'clock and the dance had ended hours ago but Puck stayed to keep the blonde company. What could of made the brunette disappear?

"Sorry we couldn't find her."

"It's fine."

It really wasn't because Rachel had left her once before and it wasn't a bad thing at all. It was heartbreaking.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"I should be when I see her." He notices her sadness and decides to change the subject.

"So you coming back to school on Tuesday?"

"Yeah."

Judy comes interrupts their conversation as she enters. She notices the deep wells under her daughters eyes. "Oh no. She didn't come back did she?"

"No." He gets up from the chair which creates a loud screeching noise against the floor.

"Oh no you can stay." She urges for him to sit down but he refuses.

"I'll give you guys some space." He kisses Quinn on the forehead and waves friendly to her mother. "I'll check up on you tomorrow if she doesn't show."

"Kay." Puck leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

Judy makes her way around the bed and sits next to her daughter. "Are you excited to go back to school?"

"Stop pretending everything is fine mom because it isn't"

"I'm just trying to lighten up the mood." She rubs her daughters arm. "So this Rachel girl. You like her huh."

"Not anymore." Her mother laughs.

"Honey, you remind me a lot about myself when I was younger." The blonde looks up at her mother. They were surely alike in many ways.

"I was the popular girl and I had made a friend with this girl. Her name was Heather. She was a total nobody, well that's what I made it seem like it because she threaten my very existence."

"Are you referring to Rachel as a nobody?"

"Oh heavens no- but I did pretended I didn't like her because everyone else would think I was a loser as well."

"You never told me about this before."

"Well baby those were my glory days, if I told you about how awful I was you would think bad of me." Judy places her hand on her daughters. "I don't regret it though. I just wish I kept in contact with her." She lays her head on Quinn's shoulders. "I can tell how much she means to you and I don't want you to lose her over something stupid."

"She means more than a lot to me."

"I know."

xxx

Monday came like a breeze and Quinn finally came home. As she wheeled herself up the drive way her mother opens the garage door and smiled. "It was last minute so you can't blame me."

Her bed was there now along with her other belongings. Puck and Sam had helped her mother the other day to get the furniture down stairs. The walls where freshly painted, the floor were now wooden, and the clutter that used to be there was gone. The room wasn't perfect and it couldn't help her feel any less sorry for herself but it'd have to do.

Quinn half smiled, "I know mom."

She stares into her daughter's eyes about to cry. "I promise that we will eventually move you up into the house -but until then you will have to stay here."

"Don't worry mom, It's perfect."

xxx

TUESDAY: It was finally time to re-enter the halls of McKinley High. The halls she fiercely used to roam and the halls were she herself got bullied. She was ready for the all name calling, the physical pain torment , and the bombardment of slushies but nothing readied her for this. Across the hall Rachel was passionately kissing Finn against his locker. Her heart stopped but she continued to watch attentively.

She didn't understand how she used to handle it before because she was positive that she was going to pulverize the next guy she saw with kisses and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Hey Quinn." She looks to her side with fire in her eyes.

Her eyes die down as she looks at her broken friend, "Oh, hey Artie." The tension dissipated and her heart slowly and painfully began to beat again.

"Oo. I'm liking the new set of wheels." She tries hard to pay attention to him but catches herself staring at the Finchel from the corner of her eye.

She laughs falsely, "Ha." As much as she wanted to be happy to see her friend who went through a similar case she wasn't in any shape or mood to do so.

"Just to let you know I did visit you."

"Did you?"

"Yeah. You were sleeping though."

"Oh."

"So how's it been. Leg wise I mean."

She looks down to her legs and gulped, "Not so good."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well you know I can always give you some advice if you need any."

"Thanks Artie."

"Anytime Quinn. I'll see you later then."

He is about to wheel away when she calls him, "Oh wait Artie."

"Yeah?"

"My mom is asking if you can carpool."

"I'll be sure to pick you up tomorrow." He smiles and waves goodbye.

"Q!" Brittany pushes her forward and makes a U-turn around Artie, utterly cutting him off.

"Hey Q."

"Hey guys."

Santana looks back at the passionate Finchel kiss on and sticks a finger in her mouth to express the amount of disgust. "Recently, they been all over each other. Earlier today, I saw them pressed up against the locker. It's disgusting. I mean hello get a fucking room."

Quinn looks back one last times and says nothing in response.

"Fuck." She observes the blonde's sadness and regrets telling her about the locker incident. "Sorry Q. I always forget if you like her or not."

"Love! San Love!"

"Whatever. I was just hyped up because the unholy trinity is finally whole again."

The girl doesn't respond and Brittany questions her,"What's up with you Q, aren't you happy to be back?"

"I guess."

"Well Coach Sylvester been begging to see you. Maybe, her quick wits will cheer you up."

"Ok."

Santana and Brittany place Quinn front and center of Sue's desk.

"Close the doors ladies as you make your way out."

"Bye Q." The girls waved and closed the door behind them.

"What do you think about Lucy Sue Sylvester. It has a nice ring to it doesn't it." She couldn't deny it after all It had a nice ring to it. "As much as I respect you Q, I gotta say I feel like the name Lucy fits my little Sue better."

The blonde is still out of it. She couldn't completely rid the image of Rachel kissing Finn and as hard as she tried she couldn't mask the frown on her face. "Aw c'mon everyone saw the posters. Lucy was the girl who was the purest of you and that's why I want her name to be that."

She shakes the pictures out of her head and responses reasonably. "No. I totally understand. I love the name."

Sue smiles and sits down into her big chair, "Glad you do. Now get out of my office I can smell your sweaty leg all the way from here." She laughs slapping her leg, "I'm just kidding kiddo. I'm really glad your ok."

"Me too."

xxx

Everywhere she turned she saw them lip locking: the lockers, the cafeteria, the choir room, the auditorium, the water fountain, fucking everywhere. She couldn't stand it. If she could she'd run away she would but she was in a wheel chair and there was no way she'd make it far not in the condition she was in.

Quinn opened the garage door with her tiny remote and her mother was laying down on her bed.

Judy gets up in a sitting position. "Hey sweetie, how was school today?"

She drags her voice, "Horrible." Then she places her bag onto the brown couch.

"It couldn't have been. Didn't you see Rachel?"

"Sorta." Everywhere. and that was the problem.

"Well you will see her tomorrow right?"

"I guess."

For the next few days Quinn tries to confront her but she was hardly approachable. She's always making out with Finn and such. They were always showing their affection for each other everywhere she went an it drove her crazy. It was just like before when they rarely had time alone to spend together because she was constantly with him.

She looked at them in disgust and envy. It was as if the accident never happened and the times they spent together was irrelevant because face Quinn was alive and she was no longer in the hospital. The amount of guilt the girl had and the prolonged confession ceased. There was no reason for her to take care of the girl no more and it made her sick to the stomach because she looked fine but in the inside she was gradually falling apart. Rachel didn't know that she couldn't move her legs and how frightened she was of losing them. No one did, except her doctors and her mother.

The news that she received angered her. Shortly after Mr. Crawford left she had threw a tantrum and threw everything to the floor and she just cried her little heart out until the tears stopped flowing. The rest of the time she stared into space blankly.

Judy came rushing in an hour later. After hearing the news from the hospital of her daughter's condition and the way she was acting, she had left the middle of an important meeting abruptly. Judy drops her bag to the floor staring at the crushed blonde and the mess that she had made. Sheets and blankets were scattered onto the floor, a tray of food and a chair was knocked over, and the frame with the two girls was broken.

"Oh no honey, your going to be fine." She opens her arms wide hugging the girl as she cries against her ear.

"What if I'm not?" She looks at the worried expression on her face.

"You will." She sits upon the bed and wraps her arms around the girl cooing her.

There is a quiver in her voice, "I'm scared." Tears freely fall from her eyes.

"I know baby, we all are but if you lose hope now how will you ever recover."

"That's the point mom-" Her mother looks down at the blonde and calms her by rubbing her arm and kisses her head. "I been through so much and I overcame them..but how do you expect to overcome something that you can't control."

"You don't expect anything you just take whatever happens as it is."

"-what happens if I don't like it?"

"You move past it because it's the only thing you can do."

"-must do."

xxx

As Quinn passes by the choir room she sees Rachel Finn-less and calls her out.

"Rachel!"

The girl approaches her, "Quinn. Long time no see." The diva gives off a radiant smile and the blonde falsely smiles back.

The blonde peeks into the room and stares at people with instruments, "Sorry am I intruding your practice session?"

"Oh no. We were just about to take a ten minute break. Right guys?" She ques them to leave and they stumble out of the room.

Rachel sits by the piano and Quinn wheels next to her. "I'm practicing a song to sing to Finn." The diva plays some keys.

She blandly say, "That's nice," with a false smile and continues on. "Well I just came by to talk to you about something that's been on my mind lately."

"If it's about the dance your apology is accepted."

"Excuse me, what?"

"I forgive you Quinn." The blonde looks at her in disbelief. "I saw you kiss him!"

"What?" Nothing was connecting until it hit her like the night the blonde disappeared. "Who, Puck?"

"Yes Quinn!"

A question had came to her mind. Was all this staged to hurt her?

Pretending nothing had happened?

Kissing Finn uncontrollably?

Avoiding her?

"I'm sorry but I believe you are the one who should apologize."

"Me? Your the one who kissed him!"

"So what?"

Quinn's temper flares as the brunette continues to bombards her with accusations.

"Why did you do it?"

"I kissed him out of comfort! Why do you even care who I kiss!"

"Because I was your date Quinn! You don't kiss other people when you have a date."

"So would it be ok if I kiss you?"

"What? No!" The skew in her voice struck down on the blonde.

"So its ok to run off with your little boy friend leaving your date stranded?"

"You are being unbelievable!" The diva flares her hands into the air and brings it back down violently on her hips.

"Am I? What I'm getting at here, is that my wrong makes yours a right."

"Don't you DARE turn this around on me Quinn!"

"Your the one that left Rach!" The blonde temper fuses, "I waited and waited and you never came back and this isn't the first time you abandoned me!"

The brunette yells out in frustration, "I came back and you were LIP LOCKING with some other guy! Do you see how BAD that makes me look?"

There is a moment of silence but the air crackles with intensity and there are light sobs and sniffles as they continue to talk.

"I can't believe how selfish your being right now. Your caring about how you look when I'm the one in the fucking WHEEL CHAIR! Is it wrong to kiss someone to feel better about myself? Because clearly you weren't there and now it seems like you don't want to be around me at all."

Quinn curses under tongue, "Everything is just fucking great!" She rolls her way out of the choir room when turns her head. She regretted saying everything and wished she could take everything back because she didn't intend to hurt the brunette at all. "-I'm sorry Rachel, I'm just a big mess right now." A tear drop slides down the blonde's cheek and she doesn't bother to wipe it. "A complete train wreck." She turns her head towards the exit.

Rachel speaks softly, loud enough for the blonde to hear, "I..didn't leave with him -just so you know."

"Where did you go then Rach." She wheels away before she can answer.

I was-

Stuck in my head.

Everything is just about to get good! aaaaaaaaaah! So the next chapter will focus a little more on Quinn's first days back, instead of a glimpse of it. I'm about to drop a bomb on you! If you know what I mean. *wink* wink*