A/N) here's the next chapter, let me know what you think, and if you have any suggestions or ideas/improvments

-pip

Across the road, in the opposite house Rachel Berry did almost the exact same. Recovering from an hour on her elliptical, instead of cheap beer she was sipping on a Watermelon Limeade Summer Chiller; one of her daddies specialties and instead of sitting alone on her couch she was curled up on the big king sized bed with Noah Puckerman, who was watching an old re-run of a basketball game while she read – (she had already seen this game earlier in the week ).

Noah was her (secret)best friend and resident bad ass/ room mate. He had been kicked out of home around the time that that Quinn had, for almost the exact same reason. Where Quinn had been kicked out because of Beth. Puck had been left because he reminded his mother of his father – a delinquent, a dead beat dad and an abusive husband. That was nearly 3 years ago, before he had even started high school, and having such a terrible thing happen to him at such a young age shaped him into the man he was now. Only his Rachel knew the Noah that was hidden behind the "Puckasaurus " that everyone at school knew, he hid behind his image just like the mother of his child. Having known Rachel and her dads since he was seven, he had found a home, and with it a place of security and love, which he had never felt before. Obviously no-one at school knew he lived there, bar Santana Lopez who joined them on their bro's nights on many an occasion .Not that they kept it a secret, they arrived and left school in the same car everyday, and they had an undoubted comfortable ease in the way they acted around each other. The majority of the school thought they were dating. Looking down at both of them cuddled on her bed, Rachel could kind of understand why. It would be easy to date Noah…if that wasn't so….. ew. Giving up on her book, Rachel made her way under the covers and slowly fell to sleep.

The silence was broken sharply by the piercing shrill of her message tone, the darkness illuminated by the small screen, flashing *One new message* . Slowly she turned over under the covers, the fog of sleep weighing heavy over her. The tv was on but muted – an annoying habit of her roommate, and she could hear the devil snoring right next to her, another habbit. Honestly their bedrooms were joined with a middle bathroom, it shouldn't take him much to move 5 meters to his own bed. The snoring, bed hogging and the tv were just a few things she had had to get used. A glance at her alarm clock showed it to be past three in the morning.

She lay there, unmoving for a while. The only sound that she could hear was the faint scratching at her window when the wind picked up the branches of her tree and the repetitive snores. The street, the house and the town was quiet. . That was one of the things she liked about small town Lima. You can get the peace and quiet. It was comforting. She remembered a passage from her childhood favorite Don't underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.

It was something she had so rarely found herself able to do, but at moments like these, in the middle of the night, she found it was nice to be able to listen to nothing and just let her mind wander.

Rachel Berry remained where she was for a good many minutes, thinking of nothing and everything before remembering what had aroused her from sleep. Glancing over the her bed side table she noted the little flashing number on her screen. Cracking her neck and fingers with satisfaction at the pop ( a habit she had picked up from Noah) she reached to her desk and flipped the phone open.

Unknown number :Hey

Well, okay then …..

that was a bit of a disappointment. It was probably her obnoxious bed mate. They used to find new ways to wake each other up in the middle of the night with the funniest repercussions they could think of. This one was a bit distasteful , meaning …. it was boring . It was how they started, setting messages to go through in the late hours of night, or setting each others alamrs to wake them at ungodly hours.

Fuck Off diddums, I'm sleeping, in my OWN bed, its what you have a bed for you know…

Immediately withdrawing from her phone, she allowed herself to settle back into her pillow, looking out the tiny window at the stars. Rachel loved staring at the stars, she could get lost in them for hours. One day she would be a star, and she knew that she could make it if she only reached high enough.

The next text came much later, in fact Rachel had almost dozed again, her eyes nearly closed and her mouth slightly ajar.

Wow, okay, didn't know you swore Berry. Sorry about the late hour…um. Yeah.

Reading the very non-puck like text ( for one there was none of that atrocious text speak) she realized something crucial . This wasn't a pre written text, and Noah was still very much asleep ( the chainsaw impersonation was a bit of a tip-off)

I apologize. Good morning. May I enquire as to who this is, and why you are texting me at such an inappropriate hour?

There, that should be adequate enough.

It's Quinn

Rachel calls bullshit. There is no way the Quinn Fabray would text her. She slowly opened the curtain to her window, peering across the road at the HBIC window. All the lights were out, it was as silent as a grave. No one was awake She closed her phone, not even bothering to reply to the imposter.

Another text came through

Rachel?

I fail to see how you think I would believe that this is Quinn Fabray, who is this?

Um, you don't believe I am me?

You fail to make a good impression of her for one, you are calling me Rachel, for two I live opposite said cheerleader and no lights are on in the house. It appears the actual Fabray is asleep.

Woah you are annoying, I was in the basement okay.

Rachel read the text and was about to hit a reply when she got another

Is that better for you

She looked out her window at the previously dormant house, it was now glowing like a Christmas tree in the dark street.

It could be a coincidence…

Seriously? Ughh fine. ….. 4 flashes

Rachel watched the lights flicker on and off 4 times.

Quinn?

Yeah. Duh. Is this a situation where 'I told you so' could fit or….

…How do you have my number?

Brittany gave it to me years ago.. does it bother you ..?

I suppose not…was there something you wanted?

To talk?

It's three in the morning

Exactly, I am bored

So you woke me up?

I could see your tv through the curtain…..

Ugh, Noah left it on, I assure you I was fast on

Oh. Sorry.

While she was thinking of how to reply, another message came through

Not just for waking you up though

… continue

This would be easier in person, just forget I texted okay. . Um, I will let you get back to sleep then. Ugh…night.

I am awake now, you might as well entertain me. Come over

Wait what..? Seriously?

You woke me up at three in the morning, you live right across the road, you had better come entertain me

It was a good 15 minutes before a reply came through

Okay

In that time Rachel had already brushed her teeth, woken Noah up (with severe difficulty, and with the instructions to kindly bugger off), and walked downstairs, putting on one of her favorite songs and busying herself around the kitchen. The late hour was no excuse to not be a hospitable host. Her parents room was soundproofed, as was her own and Noah's so the likely hood of them waking up was slim to none.

Quinn had no idea why she was doing this as she furiously scrubbed at her teeth and brushed her hair at the same time – quite a difficult task.

Rachel Berry was meant to be off limits. She was the no go area, the locked drawer in the back of her head that was never allowed open. So she could not fathom how found herself leaving her house and walking across the street to the resident diva's house. She blamed the 4th beer. She had no idea what she was going to say when she got there or what was going to happen or –oh god it was going to be so awkward she shouldn't have said anything.

She was at the door now, but she couldn't bring herself to knock so she just stayed staring at the bright red paint and number 23 plastered on the door, tempting herself with thoughts of turning back. She could still leave . So lost in her contemplation , she was scared half to death when her – admittedly awesome – ring tone came through her tiny speakers

* teenage mutant ninja turtles, heroes in a half shell –turtle power! *

You know, some say the rest of my house is as interesting as my door, maybe even a tad more exciting. Feel free to come in whenever, I am in the kitchen – just follow the hallway to the end and turn left.

Right. Yeah. Okay. Embarrassment washed over her as she realized that Rachel had known she as there the whole time. Okay then, all she had to do was open the door. Simple enough physically but honestly, this was a milestone. Never in a million years what anyone have told you that Quinn would be knocking at Rachel's door, especially in the middle of the night on a Friday- Saturday morning.

With only a slight hesitation, she opened the door.