For some reason I chose Quinn's birthday date to be on October in this fic…

Chapter 27:

Old Friend.

She is prolonging the inevitable she knows; only she can't help it but stare at the magazine for a while, trying to think of something reasonable to say. Two days, she had two days to talk about it and let her girlfriend in on everything, but no, she had to be too distracted - although in her defense, by the woman she loves - forgetting all about the issue at hand.

"What's this?"

"A magazine?" Rachel answers in a playful tone, drawing her lips into her mouth.

"Ha-ha-ha. She is so funny." Quinn laughs forcibly as she is in full sarcastic mode.

"Where did you get it anyway?" The brunette asks curiously.

Quinn lifts her hand up and shows her manicured nails. She had a manicure appointment today. Part of the Quinntana's bonding time. It was where she spotted the magazine.

"You stole it?" Rachel questions the blonde teasingly.

"When I thought you couldn't get any funnier… I asked San to buy it."

She practically forced her best friend into it.

"Of course…" Rachel rolls her eyes. "Did you guys have fun?"

"Hey, don't change the subject." Quinn says with her index finger up accentuating her words.

"Okay." The singer gestures clumsily toward the magazine. "I should've said I saw her that day and that she was the one who took me to the hospital."

"Yes you should, because, I don't know about you Rachel." Quinn raises her hands dramatically. "But I don't like to find out about things that concern us via a magazine."

"Hold on a second." Rachel raises her hand up. "You didn't find out anything via this magazine. This…" She takes the magazine and holds it up in front of Quinn. "It's just gossip. Lies. Things they made up to sell magazines."

The blonde actress folds her arms over her chest petulantly.

"Even the photos? Are they lies too?"

Rachel huffs frustrated. "Look I am at fault I know, because I didn't say anything, but in my defense I have to say that I've been very busy these last days."

They kind of locked themselves inside of a bubble as they had a couple of days off from their work routine. They didn't leave Quinn's house, actually they barely got out of Quinn's bed.

"Would you have preferred to spend our precious time together talking about Ronnie?" Rachel places the magazine on the kitchen island again. "Or…" She gets close to her girlfriend seductively. "Doing what we've done? I mean, we can talk about that now if you want, or I can give you the short but very true version of what happened… And, you know… save us some time."

"Short version."

"She wanted to talk to me. Apparently she is interested in my assistant. Romantically." She clarifies.

"Claire?" Quinn frowns intrigued.

Rachel nods quickly as she wants to proceed and to end the story.

"She wants my help, she tried to persuade me as you can check out there, photo number one." She points out to the magazine as she is referring to the photo of her being cornered against her car. "At first I thought it wasn't a good idea, Claire has a boyfriend as you know, but I don't know… she seemed really honest about her feelings and when she promised me that she wasn't just going to use my Claire." She places both hands on her chest to accentuate her statement. "I relented. I'm still not entirely sure though."

"And you shouldn't. Veronica is bad news and Claire is a good girl, besides, as you pointed out, she has a boyfriend." Quinn says impatiently, she knows Veronica's games; she's seen it before, first hand.

"I know…" Rachel shrugs. "Anyway. I said good bye and drove off. She saw the paparazzi going after me and the rest you know, well except for the part that she was there as you was able to pinpoint thanks to those photos." She tries to light up the mood. "She helped me with everything." She adds as she places a soothe hand on Quinn's waist.

The blonde cups her girlfriend's neck and pulls her close, their lips almost touching.

"I hate seeing you with her."

It reminds her of the period of time she was too much of a coward to do anything.

"She is just a friend." Rachel pecks Quinn's lips tenderly.

"You had sex with her."

"You had sex with Santana." The singer replies without thinking.

"It's not the same. And again with the Santana thing?"

"Alright. I shouldn't have said that." She raises her hand in surrender. "What I meant is that you and Santana are friends and I-"

"Santana doesn't have feelings for me." Quinn cuts her off as she pulls away.

"Ronnie doesn't have feelings for me either."

"You know what? Just the fact that you're calling her that way annoys me." She says as she gestures her hand aggressively.

"You're being unreasonable and you know it."

"Fine." She crosses her arms over her chest roughly. "Whatever."

"What?" Rachel rolls her eyes, exhaling heavily; she knows pretty well what that tone means.

"I don't want you near her."

"Demanding aren't we?" Rachel says sarcastically. "So, you can choose who I can or cannot see, veto my friendship with someone, but when I do it, you just say I'm being irrational?"

"Jenny is not going to try to seduce me."

For her own good, Rachel really hopes Jenny will never dare to even think about trying anything.

"You don't have to worry because Ronnie…" She trails off averting her eyes from Quinn. Deep down she knows the lawyer still wants her somehow. But the fact of the matter here is that she really believes that Veronica will never try anything, not while she is dating Quinn. And Rachel has no intention of ending things with Quinn, like ever. It was so difficult for her to finally get what she wanted; she has no intention of let it go.

"You can't even say it." Quinn smiles sarcastically.

"The fact that she somehow still has some sort of attraction toward me doesn't mean she is going to try anything. She respects the fact that I am dating and that I'm happy with you."

Quinn sighs a little bit relieved. Part of her wants to dislike Veronica as she remembers what was like to see the two of them together. But part of her, the stronger part apparently, still holds a deep affection toward the woman.

"She wanted to see you."

"Hm." Quinn mumbles as Rachel can notice a hint of a smile on the corner of the blonde's lips.

"You're both very similar sometimes. So stubborn… She won't take me from you, baby." She wraps her arms around Quinn's waist. "That's not possible. I love you." She kisses her girlfriend's jaw. "Only you." Quinn smiles warily. "She thought you wouldn't want to see her. Otherwise I would have invited her to our little gathering that day."

"Well, if she is going to be all over you, no I don't want to see her."

"She won't." She pecks Quinn's lips. "She is changed. I could notice that day in my apartment, although that day was a little..." She grimaces playfully. "Drama filled."

"Yeah… She was trying her way into your bed."

"Hm… no." She shakes her head. "I mean…" She continues as Quinn glares at her. "Not just that. She wanted something more. To be fair with her, she's always wanted more than just sex; I was the one that always avoided a serious relationship with her."

"Was it because of the whole dating a girl thing? Because of what you told me, Kurt and Brittana that day in my mother's house?" Quinn asks with genuine curiosity.

"No…" Rachel gets thoughtful. "Maybe a little." She sighs. "Yes, I wasn't ready; but mostly, it was because of you. I had feelings for you and she was always second place." She drops her eyes and tugs her hair behind her ear. "It wasn't like you and Alex for example. There were no dates… It was basically just sex, even though I liked her." She pauses and muses. "It wasn't the way she wanted I guess."

"Not that I'm not interested," Quinn grimaces in disdain. "But please I don't want to talk about you and her."

"Silly. There's no me and her, just you and me."

"Good answer." Quinn smiles and leans to capture her girlfriend' lips in a passionate kiss. "But I was being serious before. Stay away from her."

"Quinn…" Rachel whines. "You know what? I'm going to call her and check out if she's still in the city. Then we're going to have lunch together."

Quinn huffs childlike.

"Fine." Quinn wraps her arms around Rachel's shoulders squeezing her tightly as Rachel giggles and bites her neck tenderly.

"Who would guess right?" She says after Quinn loosens her hold a little.

"What?"

"Years ago… She was into you."

"Ugh… don't remind me."

Sitting across from the couple, Veronica playfully gestures her hand drawing some attention to the three of them. They're having lunch in West Hollywood. After their talk and after making out and making up, Rachel called the lawyer inquiring the blonde about her agenda and inviting her to a lunch date, with Quinn. Veronica was still in the city and was going to have the next day out.

"I don't find it shocking at all, I mean, you're into everyone who happens to be in a skirt." Quinn takes her glass and sips on her wine nonchalantly.

"That's so not true."

"You're the female version of Puck, Veronica."

"Don't compare me to that ex boyfriend of yours. Seriously what were you thinking?" She disdains, she never really understood Quinn's relationship with Puck. "Men…" She gags. "Besides I have so much more class than him."

"You're the same childish bitch." Quinn states with a smile on her face.

"You're still the same bitch."

"I'm so glad you guys are getting along so well." Rachel rolls her eyes. "Like old times."

"The difference is that I'm not a sore loser. I'm not whining because I don't have you." Veronica raises a brow defiantly.

"I didn't whine."

"You sort of did. Yes." She sips on her wine holding back her smile.

"Okay. Whatever. I've never appreciated the defeat."

"Does she love me? Am I going to lose her friendship?" Veronica mocks Quinn, pouting for good measure.

"Don't mock her." Rachel kisses her girlfriend's cheek as Quinn looks at Veronica, smugness all over her face. The blonde lawyer smiles amused, she can't deny that Rachel is the cutest and at the same time the hottest woman she had the pleasure to meet and to taste, of course. But deep down she knows the singer is now with the right girl. They belong together and she knows it.

"We were a peculiar love triangle…" The blonde lawyer says matter-of-factly.

Rachel gets thoughtful for a second, mulling over Veronica's statement.

"We weren't a love triangle." She replies. "Quinn and I were just friends back then."

"Yes sure…" Veronica rolls her eyes.

"Okay…" Rachel waves her hand playfully. "But anyway…"

"I wouldn't say peculiar. You wanted Rachel I wanted Rachel end of the story. Rachel, Finn and I were a peculiar love triangle."

"Oh." Veronica smirks. "The high school saga."

"Why peculiar?" Rachel asks with a smile on her face as she places her elbow on the table resting her head on her hand eyes glazed at Quinn.

"Are you really asking me this?" She inquires her girlfriend playfully. "What happened to that story about Finn having half of your heart?"

"Don't want to interrupt the love birds, but can we talk about you." Veronica points to Rachel. "Helping me into your assistant's bed?"

Averting her eyes from her girlfriend, Rachel straightens up herself and narrows her eyes at the blonde lawyer.

"You told me she was not just another conquest to you. I thought you were really interested in her?" She inquires as she crosses her arms over her chest ominously.

"I am." Veronica fidgets on her sit. "That doesn't mean I don't want her in my bed." She mumbles.

"She is being honest." Quinn says calmly, she still knows one or two things about the woman in front of her. Veronica would never put that much effort in someone if she wasn't really interested, last time that that happened (at least during the time they were close friends) it was with Rachel. "So, finally found someone you can't have?" Quinn teases the other blonde with a smirk on her lips.

"I can have her." Veronica replies unfazed.

"She has a boyfriend and as far as we know she doesn't even like girls." Quinn points out in a serious tone.

"She's in Hollywood."

"So? My gaydar never buzzed."

"Your gaydar sucks."

"Mine neither."

"Your gaydar also sucks Rach."

Rachel shrugs defeated.

"Mine doesn't suck." Quinn says petulantly.

"You would have known about Rachel back in high school."

"I've always known about Rachel, just never have the guts." She pouts earning a peck on the lips from her girlfriend.

"Anyway…" Veronica trails off as to bring their attention back to her. "I'm not in a rush. Just do your research." She winks at Rachel. "I know you can work your charm on her. Just find out about her deepest desires."

"You're just into her because she is Rachel's assistant right?" Quinn asks annoyed.

"I'm outraged." Veronica puts her hand on her chest. "Maybe at first." She adds smirking.

"I'm going to say it as nice as possible. If you ever try anything on Rachel, I swear-"

"Fuck off…" Veronica cuts her off. "I'm not going to try anything cave man. She clearly doesn't want me. And she is dating you…" She stops and gets silent as realization hits her. "I hate you."

"Mutual." Quinn says cynically.

"Touché Fabray, but I'll have you know that it's a different situation."

"Why?" Rachel asks as she wants to know as well.

"Because I don't know her boyfriend."

"Are you saying that if Rachel was dating someone else you would try something?" The blonde actress asks, with her brows furrowed and with genuine curiosity.

"Why of course." Ronnie says without hesitation.

Quinn opens her mouth for a moment, she is not the least bit upset though.

"That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."

"Quinn!" Rachel complains. "You can't be conniving with such behavior."

"Okay." She nods playfully. "That's not really nice of you Ronnie."

Rachel narrows her eyes at her girlfriend.

"I'm not going to be involved in this."

"You should come to my Halloween party. She is going to be there." Quinn informs nonchalantly.

"You…" Rachel sighs. Hours ago Quinn didn't even want to come to this little reunion. Now she is making plans with her ex to help Ronnie to get her assistant. Go figure.

September passed by in the blink of the eye and then they are in October. Even though she likes to party with her friends, Quinn prefers Rachel's plan much better, not that she knows what Rachel has planned, she knows she will like it regardless.

But the plans are for later, right now she is just very happy to be waking up with Rachel in her bed, again. Only, now is so much better than last year. Why? Well…

"Happy birthday…" She feels chills down her spine as Rachel's voice penetrates her ears, especially because she knows what that tone means and also because of Rachel's lips pressed against her ear.

"Mmm." Quinn sighs in contentment as her girlfriend snuggles her face in her neck. "Did you wake me up just to say happy birthday? Again?"

"Maybe?" Rachel giggles deviously.

"Being me the birthday girl, shouldn't you indulge my wishes such as impersonating the sleeping beauty and staying here in this bed for the next one hundred years?" She says though she is definitively not upset as the size of her smile can tell.

"I say yes for the part where you stay here, but I definitely have to disagree with the whole sleeping beauty part." Rachel pulls away and props herself on her elbow as to look at her girlfriend. "Although, you're a beauty" She smiles. "You're beautiful." She adds seductively, leaning down to peck her girlfriend's lips, but before she can deepen it Quinn dodges it and pulls away.

"Have to brush my teeth." She says playfully. But Rachel grabs her jaw roughly and presses their lips together with passion, shoving her tongue inside relentlessly, giving Quinn no time to think. The blonde moans as she feels Rachel's tongue probing inside her mouth at the same time the brunette hand starts wandering over Quinn's body.

"What are you doing?" After pulling away from Rachel's lips with a loud wet sound, Quinn says gasping as Rachel's hand slides under her short.

"What do you think?" Rachel straddles her girlfriend and starts pulling Quinn's shirt up. The blonde sits up and the singer manages to take the annoying barrier off of Quinn's perfect body. Rachel then pushes the blonde's back on the mattress and leans to taste heaven. As she is giving one of Quinn's breast an undivided mouth attention, her hand is occupied with the other one, caressing, squeezing and pinching the hard nipple.

Today she plans on cherishing her girlfriend in every possible way, to start she is going to give her a mind-blowing orgasm, or so she hopes. The fact that they will spend most part of the day alone has nothing to do with the fact that she wants her girlfriend all to herself. The others will have the opportunity to celebrate later in the week. Today though is about Quinn and her.

"I'm going to do what I wanted to do last year…" She says huskily, eyes locked onto Quinn's not so hazel ones as she leans her mouth and licks her girlfriend's stomach.

"W-what did you want to do last year?" Quinn says way to eager for her liking. Although, who she is kidding? She is head over heels in love with this woman; Rachel can do whatever she pleases with her and Quinn is totally okay with that.

"I think it'll be better if I show you…"

Rachel slides Quinn's short down the blonde's legs and throws it away, going back to press their lips together. She traces Quinn's wet lips with her fingers as she slowly kisses her way down.

"So wet…" She whispers.

With her head between Quinn's legs, she spreads them widely and licks her own lips before diving in while Quinn releases a soft moan.

"Yes, show me."

"Okay, I'm a failure."

"Maybe a little." With the biggest smile on her lips Quinn gets closer to her girlfriend and kisses her lips ever so tenderly. They are eating dinner at the living room's coffee table.

"Dinner was not so good."

Rachel is not much into domestic tasks, let's be honest, her dads spoiled her too much for her own good.

They had fun while she was cooking; Quinn even took a photo of Rachel in the act of cooking, claiming that that was a very rare occurrence. She posted the photo and the feedback was immediate, both fans and friends. Brittana commented, Santana was the most teasing. Kurt also voiced his incredulity. Rachel stated that they were all overreacting as she used to do it a lot when they were living together. Kurt agreed saying that was true, at least when she was not putting their loft on fire. All this on line, of course.

In the end she managed to at least make the food to taste decent, she placed some candles on the coffee table, grabbed the wine and put on some music.

"But you have to agree that dessert saved the night…" She says playfully.

"Okay." Quinn nods. "I'll let you have that." She kisses her girlfriend's lips.

"I need to give you your present." Rachel says as she drinks more wine.

"I thought you've already given it to me?" She frowns confused because Rachel just gave her a book moments ago. "What's up with you, books and them not being my actual birthday gift?" She inquires playfully with a big smile plastered on her face.

"The book is your present." Rachel assures cynically.

"And I loved it very much. You know how much I wanted this one."

"I know." She smirks. "But…" She pecks Quinn's lips and stands up.

The blonde watches her every move intrigued as she is not very pleased that Rachel is no longer by her side.

"I'll be upstairs." Rachel walks toward the stairs as the blonde stares at her butt, dumbfounded. "Just so you know, your birthday's gift consists in me, on my fours, waiting for you to fuck me in your bed." She informs casually.

With her mouth hanging open for a good amount of time, Quinn tries to think about something, anything other than the visuals that are popping into her mind. Why she is wasting her time with this task though, she doesn't know.

She snaps herself out of her stupor and stands up as well; she blows off the candles and rushes off to her bedroom.

This birthday is just getting better and better.

I know, ending like this… but if you guys want I can write it in the next chapter, anyway, just be kind and talk to me.

Next: Quinn's Halloween party. And yes finally, Rachel and Jenny's confrontation.