A/N: Nothing belongs to me or some things would be very different on the show. I was so excited about this chapter that I posted it early. Thank you again for all of the follows and reviews. Keep them coming!

Chapter 7

Everything seemed to freeze. Time stood still and all the air rushed from her lungs. It was too much. Quinn watched all the color drain from Rachel's face before bright, angry eyes met hers. They were locked together and she couldn't look away. She was barely aware of Jamie's arm around her waist. It wasn't until Jamie spoke that Quinn was pulled out of her stupor.

"Hi, I'm Jamie, Quinn's...friend." The lanky girl shifted the robe around her shoulders and stuck a hand out to Rachel in greeting.

Rachel grasped the other girl's hand and shook it woodenly, her eyes glued to Quinn's face. "I..it's nice to m..meet you, Jamie," she stuttered. Without warning the little diva's knees suddenly gave out and she stumbled forward. Quinn barely caught her and she looked on horrified as the brunette began to hyperventilate.

Quinn cradled the little brunette while Jamie darted to the kitchen to get a paper bag. Quinn snatched it from her and tried to help Rachel regulate her breathing. Unfortunately Rachel had worked herself into such a state that she lost consciousness.

In a blind panic, with tears streaming down her face, Quinn leaned over and gave Rachel a few puffs of air using mouth to mouth. Looking down at the brunette, her heart eased a little when she noted the regulating heartbeat and breathing. She easily picked up the songbird and gently laid her on the couch before tucking a blanket around her tiny frame.

"Is she the one who broke your heart?"

Quinn shut her eyes at the question and turned to Jamie, her expression blank as she addressed the taller girl before moving to get dressed. "Yes, she did. I've been in love with her since high school."

Jamie looked at Quinn thoughtfully with a soft smile. "I've always known that you were in love with someone else. Every once in awhile you would get this haunted look on your face." Quinn looked ashamed, but Jamie cut her off, "Why haven't you confronted her with your feelings?"

"I just can't!" Quinn cried.

"Why not?" Jamie murmured quietly, "You can at least try."

With tears streaming Quinn choked out, "Rachel would never love me! She loved Finn and now he's gone. Dead! And here I am left with my regrets and my memories. Even if I wanted to try I can't do anything when she's vulnerable. That's why I let her go." Quinn took a deep breath before dropping her voice to a harsh whisper, "Being her friend is too hard. It nearly killed me in high school when we would hand out or talk. Once, she asked if we were friends and the only answer I could give her was 'kind of'. How could we be friends when I've always felt so much more."

Jamie gathered the blonde into her arms as Quinn sobbed out her anguish. She was crying for Rachel, for Finn, and for Jamie, but most of all she cried for the hopelessness of her situation.

Quinn's sobs were quieting when there was movement on the couch. The blonde looked up at Jamie in a panic. "I cant' be here, I'm not ready for this." She disentangled herself from the tall brunette, grabbed her purse, and rushed from the room.

Rachel's head was pounding and her throat was dry. For one brief moment she thought she had been out drinking with Kurt and Santanna. It wasn't until she sat up that she noticed her unfamiliar surroundings. A bottle of water filled her vision and she'd already grabbed it and drank half the bottle before it registered that she wasn't alone. She looked up through bleary eyes at a tall, gorgeous brunette, who was holding two ibuprofen in her outstretched hand.

"Thanks," Rachel croaked out. She didn't recognize the gruffness in her voice and frowned. "What happened?"

"You...um...had a panic attack and passed out. Quinn gave you some breathing assistance, but you seemed to recover quickly, so there was no need to call anybody." Jamie hesitated before asking, "Do you remember anything?"

The diva rubbed at the painful spot on her forehead as she gathered her thoughts. "Yes. I...I'm sorry I interrupted your date or whatever this was tonight? I don't know what came over me. Suddenly I couldn't breathe; it felt like my lungs just stopped working for a moment."

Jamie was sympathetic, "It's okay, Rachel. I know it was a kind of a shock and everything."

Rachel looked up and her expression dimmed when she noticed the lack of a certain blonde. "Where's Quinn?"

"I don't know. She saw that you were waking up and she left."

Chocolate filled with tears. "Why? We used to be friends and now she won't even talk to me anymore!"

Jamie sighed and sat down next to the little diva. "So what are you going to do about it? If you guys are friends you need fix it."

Rachel squared her shoulders and nodded.

Quinn had fled her room and taken a walk to calm herself down. After wandering aimlessly for what seemed like hours, she had found herself at the track. Since running was a release for her, she had immediately run until her lungs burned. Now, sweaty and both mentally and physically exhausted, Quinn made the painful trek back to her room.

She opened the door and immediately stilled when she saw Rachel sitting primly on her bed. Before she could turn and run, the diva had pounced on her and engulfed her in a hug. Quinn breathed in the soft scent of vanilla and Rachel and, before she could stop herself, melted into the embrace. The blonde was too weak to fight her feelings, so she reveled in the feel of the diva in her arms. They stood locked together in an embrace until, at Rachel's urging, Quinn got in her shower. She stood underneath the hot water for what seemed like hours, trying to delay the inevitable.

Steam billowed through the doorway when Quinn left the bathroom. She noticed the diva, already in pajamas, lying in her bed and reading. The moment she realized Quinn was in the room Rachel scrambled up from her position on the bed and made a beeline for the blonde. Before she could even open her mouth, Quinn croaked out, "Not right now, Rachel. I just can't handle it tonight. Can we just go to bed?" She was just too emotionally depleted to deal with anything from the little brunette.

Rachel nodded, "I... er... changed your sheets and grabbed a few blankets. It seems you're getting another cold front tonight. I can't believe it's almost May. It feels like December out there."

Quinn nodded feebly as she settled into her blankets. She smothered her surprise when Rachel curled up behind her. The little diva gathered Quinn in her arms and whispered, "Just sleep. We'll deal with things in the morning."

The blonde couldn't control the shiver that ran through her body as Rachel's warm lips grazed her ear. Quinn was so grateful for the brunette's closeness even as she berated herself for reacting to it. She closed her eyes and willed sleep to come as she snuggled into the brunette's warmth and prayed that she would survive their inevitable conversation tomorrow.

A/N2: I know it's used in lots of Faberry fanfiction but I just couldn't resist having them sleep in the same bed. Up next: Will Quinn finally reveal her feelings to the right person. Rate and review please.