Chapter Four

"That was more dramatic than I expected it to be," Quinn said once she and Rachel were safely back in her car and on their way.

Though she was flashing a charming half smile, Rachel noted the tell tale sign of nerves catching up to the blonde from the way her slightly shaky hands gripped the steering wheel.

"Were you expecting to be picking up some other girl from some other house?," she quipped to lighten the mood.

"I should have seen that one coming huh?," Quinn replied with the small laugh Rachel hoped to hear from her.

"I'm sorry if that happened strangely," the brunette said sincerely. "I wasn't planning on telling them so early but then you were there and they were there and I remembered that I'm really bad at lying and it just… came out of my mouth."

"Lots of things happen to do that. You should really start watching what you eat."

Rachel raised her eyebrows.

"What happened to you thinking I had a sexy ass?"

Quinn merely scoffed to herself while the brunette settled into her seat, as she felt the driver next to her and the mood in general relax.

"That's very funny," the blonde said.

"I thought so," Quinn threw right back, her smile growing. "You should try stand-up in the future."

"I would but I'm afraid I'll be too busy starring on Broadway. Keep that in mind please Quinn, I don't want you to think I'll be changing my dreams just because I happen to be engaged to you now. You'll just have to do your HBIC poses in New York right along with me alright?"

"Back to answering in paragraphs I see."

"Don't blame me for being an incessant plan maker."

They shared a comfortable silence then, much longer than most people have ever shared with Rachel Berry in the vicinity. It was long. Seconds long.

"So where are you taking me?," Rachel asked just when Quinn was thinking about pulling over to check if the other girl was still breathing.

"I'm afraid we're going to play it a little cliché tonight," the blonde replied. "Movie and then maybe dinner?"

"Oh I love clichés! And those are the best! There's a reason classics are classics you know."

"I have no idea about that. I'm quite sure what I'm dealing with is pretty damn original for people of my age and demographic."

"You're Quinn Fabray! And here we are."

"There's no need for you to actually say that. I know we're here, I drove the car," Quinn said as she pulled into the closest parking space, hopped out and walked into the complex with Rachel hot on her heels.

"Oh let it be, I was just setting the scene! And you forgot to open my door for me by the way."

"You think I'm the guy too? Did Kurt give you the talk about him not liking sweat and women?"

"Were you two having that talk because you wanted to tell him that you like sweat and women and are therefore the guy in this relationship?"

"The only thing you got right in that sentence was the fact that I was cornered into a talk with Kurt. So what movie did you want to see?"

"Smooth subject change there Romeo."

"Uh huh. So, what movie?"

"You're really letting me choose?"

"So?"

"That's very sweet of you Quinn. Very gentlemanly, chivalrous even!," Rachel said as she mock curtsied to the other girl.

"I was worried you'd say that," Quinn replied even as she fought the urge to mockingly bow back.

She would still try as much as possible to avoid being dragged into yet more dramatic situations with Rachel. There had to be a limit on how much one's life could play out like something other people watched with popcorn.

She took another look at the excited looking brunette had latched on to her arm and was happily perusing the framed posters on the wall. Stopping one in particular, she motioned to it and Quinn was surprised to find something that didn't seem Rachel Berry's style at all.

"I overheard some cheerios saying that this interesting blockbuster just came out."

"We don't have to see anything some stupid cheerios wanted to see. You don't actually think I have the same taste as them do you?"

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, deciding not to enter speech mode at that moment.

"As if I'd be happily standing here with you if I thought you were still like those slushie wielding maniacs!," she joked. "Actually, they apparently wanted to see it because it has copious amounts of wedding scenes and they wanted to, umm, hold on, let me remember how they put it… be 'all up on the down low' or something to that effect, for the sake of their Captain."

"Those are the same people who fail to crack a book for finals and they're researching weddings? For my sake? And I'm sure you just butchered that term by the way."

"Did I? I really wouldn't know."

"Come on let's just get tickets. I don't want to think about this anymore, every time I think cheerios I think Sue Sylvester."

Rachel beside her shuddered and dropped her arm, apparently meaning to wander off somewhere on her own.

"I'll get the snacks," the brunette announced.

"So I suppose that means I'm getting the tickets huh?," Quinn asked, though she pulled out her wallet without an ounce of hesitation.

"You're the guy after all!"

Rachel made her way to the concession stand and collected a drink for herself and a few things she thought Quinn would enjoy during the movie.

Humming some show tune or other, she looked back to where people were lined up for tickets, trying to spot the familiar blonde mane.

Her cheerful mood however was quickly ruined by the sight of high tied ponytails and matching smirks on three girls that were stalking towards her, each armed with an ice cold, supersized slushie.

Rachel wondered why people would even sell those to cheerleaders, with their diet there's no way they could actually drink them. The brunette's thoughts wandered to Quinn's figure as she thought about the many ways the blonde probably had to expel any calories she actually took in.

A moment later, she cursed herself for letting herself get lost in those sorts of thoughts instead of finding away to escape the imminent danger.

"Look who it is! It's Fabray's little Chihuahua," a cruel voice snickered next to her.

Rachel steeled her jaw and raised her eyes to meet them.

"I'm sorry I don't seem to recall ever meeting you people before. Could you move out of the way please? I'd like to head towards the ticket purchasing area."

It was an honest comment. For Rachel Berry who had to deal with countless numbers of less than sweet moments with ponytailed young women, their features seem to mold into one until all she could remember were their words and the feeling of ice sliding down her neck.

"We met like four hours ago, what do you mean you don't remember us?," another girl said, bitchy tone rising, the words flying out of her mouth in attack formation as Rachel tried to shake unhappy memories away.

"Relax she's just trying to get us hyped up like the nerd she is," the third said.

Unlike her friends, this one seemed highly uninterested in Rachel and looked like she was actually there to see a movie.

"Just because Santana isn't here doesn't mean you get to be all blasé about this alright?," the first girl, obvious leader type chastised her.

"Whatever. Not my fault this one is an uninteresting nerd," she replied.

"I believe I am considered a 'geek' by your kind, not a nerd. And again I must apologise but I need to get back to Quinn…"

"She's here? That's just perfect."

"We'll play with her when we feel like but right now why don't we give you a little something to jog your memory?"

Rachel's arms were suddenly grabbed in a death grip as two excessively athletic, lean muscled girls almost threw her into the nearest bathroom while the third followed as she was commanded.

"Let me go! I carry a rape whistle!," Rachel said as she struggled uselessly against them.

"You would have set it off by now if you did."

"Are you people going to rape me?"

"NO! Don't flatter yourself, how many times a day does Fabray smack you in the head?," the first said as the second threw her hard against the wall.

The third winced as Rachel groaned, her shoulder hitting the surface with force.

"Even I'm not interested," she said, trying to keep any semblance of sympathy from her voice. "You're just not my type."

"Enough flirting, what's wrong with you?"

"Yeah just hurry up, everyone knows slushies are much better when icy, icy cold."

Quinn frowned as she made her way around the complex for the third time, their movie was due to start in a few minutes and though she herself couldn't care less, she figured Rachel to be the on time for trailers type.

The blonde had checked various bathrooms already and was about to walk into another when a soaked and shaky Rachel made her way out, her eyes dropped to the floor.

"What the hell happened to you?," Quinn asked, all thoughts of the movie flying out of her head.

She pushed the door open to see if the ones responsible were still in the vicinity, her eyes set into an angry glare.

"I'm fine Quinn," said a tiny voice next to her. It was almost unrecognizable to Quinn, a whisper almost. Definitely nothing like the voice throwing happy jabs at her in the car.

"You're not fine, you're shaking," the blonde replied.

Quinn was annoyed, angry even and she knew it showed in her voice as Rachel looked even more saddened.

The blonde tried to comfort the girl with a hand in apology only to have her recoil from her touch. "Tell me what happened. Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing, I just… can't take you yelling at me right now alright?"

"I'm… I'm not gonna yell. I'm sorry.

"It's like the slushies are the international language of cheerios," Rachel said with a humorless laugh. "Do you think the flavors are code for something? Like blue is simply 'you're a loser,' while purple is a more heartfelt 'I wish you'd never forget every mean name I ever called you because I think it's all true."

Quinn sighed

"Rachel look at me," she said.

"I don't think I can do that right now Quinn. I don't really want you of all people looking at me like this, trying to comfort me after a slushie attack of all things. You shouldn't even be here, they could come back."

"Are you saying that because you're scared for me?," Quinn asked thinking that the chances of that were low. "Or because you're scared of me?"

"I don't know Quinn. I just feel really cold right now."

"Come here."

"You'll get sticky," the brunette argued even as the blonde closed in.

"Don't make me ask twice… because I will if I have to. Rachel… come here."

"I'm sorry. Your clothes will be ruined."

"I'm the one who's sorry."

"I hardly think you were part of this particular slushying. It's a word, I coined it."

Quinn smiled a little as that, taking the lightened tone as permission to step closer.

She wrapped Rachel in her arms and whispered softly into her hair.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Thank you for being here now Quinn. I feel much safer," Rachel replied.

"Then why couldn't you look me in the eye earlier?"

The mood was broken and Rachel pushed away gently, making Quinn frown once more.

"Perhaps it would be better if you enjoyed the movie on your own and allow me to call my fathers to come pick me up?"

"That would look just fantastic wouldn't it? Me taking you out the one time and not even bothering to take you home myself… but managing to somehow get you abused by jackasses who only wanted to come after me."

"If you're so worried about that, I'll call someone else. And don't act so self important, I assure you I attract my fare share of people who want to 'come after me.' I just don't want to be here anymore Quinn."

"I'll take you. Let me take you somewhere else ok?"

"I… can't be around you right now either."

That night, the blonde lay awake for so long that she pretty much expected it when her alarm went off telling her that the next day had indeed arrived and she needed to get up and get dressed into something that she wasn't wearing the night before.

She walked into school, bitch face on maximum, just knowing that it wasn't going to be a good day.

"We need to exchange words," Kurt said at some point between the blur of classes she had just sat through.

Quinn was almost surprised, she didn't think anyone would actually be stupid enough to approach her. Especially at her locker where she was apparently expected to keep a cacophony of nerd beating weapons as HBIC.

"I'm busy," she replied as she threw textbooks into the locker, liking the satisfying sound the metal made in complaint.

"Probably but I can't bring myself to care," Kurt replied.

"That's a pretty ballsy thing to say. Coming from you I'd call that highly unexpected," Quinn said, pausing to give him a full frontal view of her unamused face.

"Coming from you, I'd say that you'd know," he countered, his gaze wavering a little.

Even though that was the case it seemed the boy had gotten a strange sense of conviction somewhere. Quinn ran her eyes over his clenched jaw and at the balled up fists at his sides.

This was Kurt though, Quinn knew he would never punch her even if she asked him to, which by the way he was acting in front of her, he seemed to think she did.

"You heard about last night?," she asked.

"Through tears. Yes," he replied tersely.

"And you've prepared some sort of a big sister speech to throw at me?"

Quinn kept her voice calm but was prepared for his response. Punching really was out of the question but it was still Kurt, she knew she should be prepared for some sort of diva slap.

"Not really no," he replied with a sigh, surprising her completely.

"What then?"

Kurt frowned at her then, making her feel like she should know exactly what to do all on her own.

" If you can't be the almighty HBIC right now, then what the heck are you good for? Just… go fix it you idiot."

Quinn had no idea how to do that of course, but she at least knew where to start.

The blonde headed off to the cheerio lounge, throwing the door open as if she owned it, which was generally accepted as the case anyway.

The other girls raised their eyes at her, some standing in recognition of her prescence.

"We're calling off the slushies," she announced and rolled her eyes at the shocked gasps and annoyingly toned 'oh my God's.

"On who?," one girl asked, blinking up at Quinn reverently.

"On everyone. Stop all of them," the blonde replied.

"What's with that?," another girl asked, in a tone Quinn found much less acceptable.

"Question me again and I will hurl the slushie machine at you. I won't repeat myself, I don't want to hear of anyone wasting even a single drop of the stuff. Got it?"

"Yes Captain," the girls chorused.

"Good."

The blonde glared at the room for good measure, making sure pause at those she thought were generally less obedient than others just until they dropped their gazes to the floor.

She didn't bother looking Santana's way however as she knew the girl would do whatever she liked regardless of how long they decided to hold their staring contests.

"Quinn's bitching out all over everybody and it didn't even have anything to do with me. I must be losing my touch," the Latina said to the beautiful blonde latched on to her side.

"Feels kind of good huh?," Brittany asked with a smile.

"B! I told you not to say such embarrassing things to me at school!"

Meanwhile in an almost empty glee classroom, William Schuester had once again been cornered by his arch enemy.

"I'm not sure this is really necessary. They have actual parents to deal with these things. We as their teachers really have no right… or reason… to make these sorts of plans," he said.

He merely watched as Sue Sylvester paced around the room and took a deep breath. He knew she was only preparing to either shoot down whatever he just said, or worse, match it with something ridiculous.

"I demand a prenup."

"Oh come on Sue, it's not your wedding! They should decide for themselves how their money and belongings should be separated!"

"I'm not finished! I demand a prenup from you! I demand that any future offspring that results from the upcoming ridiculousness, that I still blame you for somehow, shall be completely off-limits to you and your loser club."

"That both parents happen to be a part of," Schuester replied.

"I believe the eldest of which would serve me well as cheerio captain while the following could serve as a substitute in case her sister gets somehow wounded by Santana's future spawn. I am nipping your club right in the bud Schuester, just you try and wriggle out any future cheerios from under my nose. It won't work this time!"

"This isn't going to work either Sue!"

"It's not like I'm asking them to name children after me! But they should at least try to make them all blonde and tall. It fits the role better. I want Santana's to be sexy and snarky. Creating them shouldn't be a problem for her and Brittany at all. They do it like rabbits even though I know that they know I know!"

Schuester was up on his feet at this point and calling out to her even as the Coach was making her way to the door, she had said what she had needed to say and couldn't care less about listening to anything else.

"There are rules! Life rules, rules that normal humans should live by and also, the rules of human biology!"

She merely waved a hand up in dismissal, leaving him to have no open moves except for a childlike stamp on the ground.

AN:

I hope you guys enjoyed the read.

To reviewers: Thanks so much for taking the time to drop a line or two :)

See you next chapter!