Hello readers! Thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry I didn't respond to them last chapter. I will in the future!

Shout out to my beta reader Natalie

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.

July 4, 2011

It was already getting dark as Quinn and Judy pulled up in the gravel parking lot surrounding the white and red bricked club building. On the front was a large red, white and blue banner draped from doorway to doorway. Quinn took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. She hadn't been back to this country club since being pregnant - she was allowed to skip last summer to let people "forget that she had a baby a couple months ago."

She really wasn't ready to face all the families' judging eyes.

Her mother walked quietly beside her - both listening to the sound of their feet crunching on the pebbles.

"Quinn," Judy began as they made their way around the building and to the back, "I know this may be uncomfortable for you, but please just be polite and respectful, alright?"

Quinn scoffed. "So if Mrs. Harrison asks how my trip to wedlock was, I have to say nothing?"

"Please," the older lady said, sounding more like a demand than asking.

Quinn kicked a rock and said nothing, following her mom to the large white gazebo where people were gathered. She noticed a few of the elderly women look her up and down - if having a child at sixteen wasn't enough to make them stare, then her pink hair and dark clothes definitely are.

She ignored the whispers as her mother squeezed her arm in what she assumed was a gesture of reassurance and dragged her to greet a couple of women on the bench who were wearing the Fourth of July t-shirt that Quinn bought.

"Hello ladies!" Judy said greeting them before the women stood up to embrace her in a hug. Quinn stood awkwardly to Judy's side trying not to roll her eyes.

The woman currently hugging Judy - Mrs. Jenkins - released the older blonde and turned to Quinn. "Oh! Hello, Quinn. You look... different. Youthful, anyway."

Quinn raised her eyebrows at Mrs. Jenkins as the lady continued. "You should go join the other kids - they're over there by the pond," she said, nodding in their direction.

"Will do," the ex-cheerleader replied before give them a small wave.

By the pond was a group of about six teenagers - Quinn knew all but two as their parents were regular club and church attendees. However, Quinn had not seen them since early sophomore year. She braced herself before integrating herself in their circle.

"Hey," she said to no one in particular. The teens all rustled their feet, some of them looking Quinn and the eye and some not. Finally, a dark haired girl with freckles covering her face presented her hand to Quinn.

"Hi," she greeted shaking hands with Quinn. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm -"

"Emily," Quinn interrupted with a smile. "I remember you. You actually go to McKinley, don't you?"

"Uh, yea," Emily said a bit frazzled. "Junior."

Quinn nodded. "I thought so. I'm also pretty sure our dads were golf buddies -" she clamped her mouth shut. Emily opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it as well, knowing of the Fabray's divorce.

Quinn shuffled her feet, trying to ignore Emily's stare when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. "What -" she began before being enveloped in a hug.

"Quinn!" a deep, muffled voice exclaimed.

She wiggled loose of the boy's arms and took a step back to look at who had just squeezed her. In front of her was a raven haired boy with poofed up hair and muscular arms. He wore a light blue Abercrombie and Fitch v-neck which showed off his muscular chest and his face wore a toothy grin which was directed at her.

"Oh my gosh!" Quinn exclaimed, realizing who it was. "Michael! I haven't seen you since, what, eighth grade?"

She tugged on the guy's arm and brought him back into a quick hug. Emily eyed them both with curiosity.

"Yea," Michael laughed. "I moved back here to live with my dad. You know Dalton Academy? They have the top baseball team for private schools in the State, and they recruited me. It'll help me with chances of a ball scholarship, so I'm back in Lima."

"That's great," Quinn replied, still smiling. Maybe this evening won't be too bad. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too. What have you been up to, you know, besides being... pink...?"

Quinn chuckled and scratched her head and walked along the edge of the pond alone with Michael.

"I've been -" she paused, wondering what she should say. Michael had his hands in his pockets, but his eyes never left Quinn's face and his smile seemed genuine. "I've been pregnant."

The boy stumbled forward in surprise, coughing. He stopped and pounded his chest as his eyes widened. "Whoa, ok, did not see that coming."

Quinn shrugged. "You were going to hear it from someone here, so it might as well have been from me."

They had both stopped walking. Quinn wrapped her arms around herself and took a step back, not knowing how this was going to go. Michael licked his lips and let out a breath Quinn didn't know he had been holding in.

"I'm not - I'm not freaked or anything," he told her and Quinn allowed herself to relax a little. "I am surprised, I will admit but... stuff happens."

He paused before flashing her a grin again. "Hormones happen."

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes as she slapped him on the shoulder.

"You know, I used to have the biggest crush on you back in -" he started before he was interrupted by Emily running up to them.

"Hey you two," the freckled girl addressed them both. "My cousin is here with a friend and I'm supposed to make them feel welcome which means you need to come and say hi. Please? And thanks."

She grabbed Quinn by the arm as Michael mouthed Sorry! at her.

Emily pushed Quinn towards the two new girls but her foot caught on a rock and she stumbled into the taller one, her hand latching onto the girl's arm.

"I am so sorry about that," Quinn apologized. "Tripped - totally that rock's fault."

The girl unlatched Quinn's hand from her arm. "No problem. Rocks do that to people."

Quinn stepped back to take in whom she was supposed to be meeting. The girl was maybe an inch taller than her with long brown hair which had a thick blonde streak in the front. She wore a black tank top which did nothing to cover up the tattoos on her biceps. She looks oddly familiar...

The girl bit her lip and shamelessly let her eyes travel up and down Quinn, noticeably stopping at the chest area. Quinn stood still, trying to look anywhere but at the girl.

The girl moved her head so she was in Quinn's line of sight.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Pat Nichols."

Quinn gawked. "Pat? Pat Nichols? As in the Pat who moved to Michigan?"

Pat shrugged. "The one and only."

Quinn's heart pounded. She hadn't seen this girl since sixth grade - hadn't talked to her since fifth. She definitely did not look the same.

"Oh, well I'm -"

"Quinn Fabray," Pat finished for her, stepping closer to Quinn. "Of course I remember you. Different hair and clothes, but your eyes are the same - stunning."

Quinn gaped at the girl and noticed how alone they were. Michael had gone off to help his father set up lawn chairs for the firework show as the sun had now completely set and the other girl that was previously with Pat was with Emily by the gazebo.

"Um - I - I -" the ex-blonde stuttered. "Th-thanks, I guess."

She gulped, the proximity of the two girls close enough that she could hear the brunette's breathing.

Pat chuckled. "It was a compliment, don't worry."

The girl was now tracing Quinn's arms with her fingers and her breath hitched as those fingers reach her wrist, making circles on the inside.

"Why are you back here in Ohio?" Quinn questioned.

"Family vacation," Pat stated. "Visiting Emily and my aunt and uncle."

"Oh." Quinn gulped as Pat's other hand now rested on her waist. Pat smirked as Quinn's skin broke out in goose bumps.

What is she doing? Quinn wondered, but found herself not moving away. Pat's hand radiated warmth which seemed to spread all over her skin but - then what is with the shivers?

The other girl whom Pat was previously with - a curly red head - caught Quinn's eye from a distance.

"And who is the other girl?"

Pat glanced at the red head, nodded in her direction before placing her attention back on Quinn.

"Amy. She my sort of girlfriend, I guess."

"Girlfriend?" Quinn whispered as Pat's hands were now clasped around both of Quinn's wrists which should seemed like a dominating gesture but for some reason Quinn found it very intimate - and therefore unnerving.

Pat cocked her head. "Yeah. That shouldn't surprise you, Quinnnie Dear."

Quinn's brain was going crazy and her heart seemed to be pumping violently enough to break out of her chest. She tried to steady her breathing when she remembered what Pat said right before.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?"

Pat leaned her head forward, her lips grazing Quinn's ear and the pink-haired girls could feel the puffs of breath on her skin.

"It means," Pat breathed, "that we like to have fun together when we want to."

They were close enough now that their whole bodies touched - breast to breast, hip to hip - and Quinn couldn't bring herself to step away. It felt good and Quinn's mind ached with that knowledge that this closeness with a girl felt good.

"You know," the brunette continued, "if things went the way they should have, we would be having some fun right now."

Quinn could feel her pulse racing. She knew she should back away, run, but the girl's breath felt warm on Quinn's skin and made her eye lids flutter in a way they really shouldn't -

Pat's hand was suddenly in Quinn's pocket and Quinn squeaked as the brunette dug around for her cell phone. Still skin-to-skin with Quinn, Pat inserted some numbers on the phone and shoved it back in Quinn's back pocket.

"My number, just in case you feel like calling me," Pat told a wide-eyed Quinn.

"Um -"

"Quinn."

The ex-cheerio ripped herself away from the girl with a strangled gasp as she heard someone call her name off to the side. Her mother stood about ten feet away from the two girls, two red plastic cups in her hands. Judy Fabray's eyes danced back and forth between Pat and her daughter, lips slightly parted, until they finally settled on Quinn.

"Hello dear, but I must take my daughter now," the older woman addressed Pat, her words laced with an unnatural niceness. "I got you some lemonade, Quinn. Say good bye to your friend; we need to go sit down for the fireworks."

Pat cocked an eyebrow at Quinn and Quinn gave her a tiny wave before turning her back, following her mother.

The two walked in silence. Judy handed Quinn her cup but said nothing, not even looking Quinn in the eye. Quinn clenched her fists, not sure what just happened back there and nervous about what will happen when they arrived home.

Quinn sat in a daze during the fireworks show. She normally liked this part, but instead her heart ached with guilt and her mother still had not spoken to her - she talked to everyone around her, but not her daughter. Before she knew it, the show was over. The ride back to the house seemed to never end.

"Hey, mom -" the daughter tried when they were on the road, but Judy shook her head, clearly not wanted to talk.

Quinn rested her head on the car door window and closed her eyes, hoping that somehow that darkness would take away the deafening silence.

July 5, 2011
12:02 a.m.

The two women arrive home shortly after midnight. Quinn trudged upstairs to her room and flopped on the bed. Tears prickled at the eyes and she had no idea why - it's not the first a parent refused to talk to her. And it's not like it was even the first time her mother was silent on this particular topic. It seemed strange that her mother did not even know that the girl was Pat from Quinn's elementary school and yet somehow the girl had reduced Judy to fear and silence. Like the last time when Judy remained quiet as Russell yelled and raised his hand...

She turned over on her back and stared at the ceiling. That was the first time she had talked to Pat since February of fifth grade. The last time she had seen her was in sixth grade, right before Pat's family moved to Michigan because of job opportunities.

Quinn remembered thinking Pat was cute back then - she can appreciate a girl's beauty... - but now she looked beautiful. Quinn thought about just a couple of hours ago and how her fingers itched to run along the girl's tattoos and run her fingers through -

She had to stop thinking like that.

Quinn huffed and flung herself back out of bed, trying to take her mind off the party. Her eyes strayed to her bulletin board which was full of pictures over the last few years - some of the cheerios, prom, Puck, Finn, and Sam, her sister, and even Glee.

She moved forward, staring at the Glee Club photo. It was right after sectionals her sophomore year - she was still pregnant, but glowing. The club was in a big group hug, with Mr. Shuester in the middle holding the first place trophy.

Quinn smiled. That was not the best of times - Finn had just found out the baby was not his - but the competition was exhilarating and the win was a moment to be proud of.

She peered closer at the photo. Her younger self was not looking at the trophy, Puck, or even Finn. Quinn followed her line of sight and what photo-Quinn was looking at, on the other side of the group hug, was Rachel.

Quinn scrunched her eyes, never noticing this before. Her finger traced the tiny Rachel, who seemed even smaller in a big group. This made Quinn smile, almost as big a smile as she had in the photograph. She took her phone out, pausing at the new number she just received, before moving onto text another brunette.

To Rachel: Hope you have a great 4th of July, Berry :)

Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door.

Quinn turned around as her mother walked in, wringing her hands.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?"

"Just - just looking at some old photos," she said pointing to the bulletin board.

Judy nodded, not seeming interested in the small talk. "Well, I'm heading to bed. Thank you for being respectful of everyone at the get-together. Sleep well, I'll see you in the morning."

"Wait," Quinn called out, taking two strides towards her mother. "Can we- can we talk about tonight? I'm sorry if -"

She was cut off as her mother held up her hand to stop Quinn. "I don't want to talk about it. Let's just forget anything about - about that person in particular or what I may have seen. Let's both go to bed. Please."

Quinn pursed her lips. "Ok, I - ok, good night."

Judy shut the door quietly behind her and Quinn, growling, tangled her hands in her hair in frustration, kicking the door which loudly rattled it. She quickly put her palms to it, steadying it, before resting her forehead against it. She breathed in and out, trying to settle her emotions. In. Out. In. Out.

Sleep was supposed to be a welcome bliss. Quinn should have known better than that.

"Why'd you stop talking to me, Quinn?" The brunette with the blonde streak asked. Quinn, blonde, sat with her in the old fifth grade classroom, each sitting on top of the desks because they girls were now too large to fit in the chairs.

"I liked you," continued Pat. "You knew that. Why'd you just shut me out?"

The blonde's eyes began to tear up. "I didn't want to. But my dad kind of made me. You have to believe me on that."

"So you played daddy's innocent little girl and made me a fool? Because I thought you liked me, too."

"I did!" yelled Quinn. "I did like you. But I wasn't supposed to, ok? Russell, he really did not like it. I just - what was I supposed to do?"

"What you were supposed to do?" Pat asked incredulously. "You were supposed to do what you wanted to do. Screw your dad and your mom. So you liked a girl. It shouldn't matter to them, only you."

The blonde violently shook her head. "No, it does matter. Everything I know says I was wrong. Everything. So yes, it mattered. Still matters."

Pat jumped off the small desk and headed towards the door to the classroom. "You won't be happy until you start doing whatever the hell it is you want to do. Stop trying to fight those feelings so hard. It'll make a lot of things easier. Especially with her."

The girl disappeared out the door.

"With who?" Quinn yelled after her. "Who?"

Quinn ran towards the door, only to have it shut right in her face.

"Pat!" she screamed, pounding her fists on the wood. "Pat! Open it! Who are you talking about? Who -"

The door creaked open and Quinn peered around it, only to be met with another brunette; but no blonde streak and a shorter stature.

"She's talking about me," the new girl stated.

Without even a moment's hesitation, Quinn pulled the girl towards her so their bodies were flush against each other. The blonde palmed the back of the brunette's head and caught her mouth in a kiss, right before noticing those chocolate eyes darken.

"Rachel," Quinn moaned. "Rachel, where have you been -"

Quinn's arms darted out to her night stand to grab her phone as the buzzing of its vibrations woke her up. She rubbed her eyes, trying to will her heart to slow down.

Rachel: Thank you for the 4th of July wishes! I had a marvelous time. How was yours?

Quinn dropped the phone the moment she saw Rachel's name.

It'll make a lot of things easier. Especially with her.

Bodies - mouths - hands - tongues - deep brown eyes -

Rachel -

"Oh my god," Quinn whispered.

Her palms were becoming sweaty and she tried to wipe them off on her t-shirt. Panic was now rising in her chest and she jumped out of bed and darted down the hall to her bathroom. Without even bothering to turn on the light, Quinn splashed her face with water. She heaved over the sink, hands clenching tiled edge as she tried to force the panic to subside. Water dripped down her face, and she didn't know what amount of it were tears and what was the sink water.

She did know, though, that is had been Rachel in her dreams - the girl invading her nightly thoughts. The girl whom she just finally became friends with.

Quinn whimpered.

"Oh my god."

A.N. Thanks for reading! I also have an account at ArchiveOfOurOwn under the author name seekingoutfriday and a livejournal at seekingoutfri(.)livejournal(.)com
And for those who have tumblr, follow me at seekingoutfriday(.)tumblr(.)com