A few days had passed since Quinn had found herself in Rachel's bedroom. School was as painful as she'd expected, and the stab of grief that pieced her chest at every reminder of the events didn't fade, not that she'd expected it to. Judy had offered to take her on a shopping trip to 'cheer her up', causing Quinn to totally give up the idea of her mother ever offering any kind of support.

Her mother's sympathy didn't change once the funerals came around.

Mike's had been hard enough. He boy had a large family, all of whom stoically held themselves in a deep and pensive grief. His mother spoke of a boy who loved dance, his father spoke of a man who loved to learn and Tina spoke of a soul who loved to love.

Old video footage of a young Mike was played before a crowd united in silence other than the occasional sniffle from the boys mother or Glee Club members. Mike taking his first few shaking steps, unaware of how blessed the movement really was. A raven haired boy looking up to the camera, pouting and begging for dance lessons before doing the robot to prove his potential. As a gangly teenager, awkwardly showing his trophies for his academic achievements, collapsing in laughter when his father wrote 'Great Job Mike' on the fridge in what he thought was a whiteboard marker but turned out to be a permanent marker. Older now, the camera focused in on his face as he watched Tina come down the stairs, his breath visibly stolen from her beauty as he fumbled for her corsage.

Now it was Finn's time.

Quinn got dressed slowly, slipping on the only black dress she owned, which cast such a stark contrast to her colorful wardrobe. She applied a light make up, wise enough to leave her eyes alone, and sat on the edge of her bed as she put on her shoes.

This would be a long day. Mike's funeral was difficult, but she knew there was a difference. While she'd talked to the boy animatedly about video games, it wasn't the same relationship she had with Finn. Used to have with Finn. Tina was her friend, so it hurt her to see the smaller girl in pain, but she knew Rachel would be different. She knew Finn's family, had even lived with them that short amount of time. Just as she buckled the last clasp and rose to stand, the realization struck her that forced her to sit back down.

How could she possibly look Carole and Burt in the eye, knowing it was her fault their son was dead?

'It's my fault', she thought as she got in the car and drove to the church.

'It's my fault', she thought as she stood by the doors, watching the already crying crowd file in.

'It's my fault', she thought as she looked down the isle to see Finn's body resting in the coffin, his suit buttoned high to hide the wound which caused his death.

"It's my fault", she said as she felt another person sit beside her.

Rachel didn't say anything. She didn't shake her head, didn't argue against her, didn't reassure Quinn that it was in no way her fault; but she didn't agree either. She simply accepted that Quinn would undoubtedly feel responsible.

Quinn, unable to bring herself to look at her friend, instead looked down their pew to the rest of the glee club members. Now, whenever they were grouped together like this, the blonde could feel herself get on edge. Without even realizing it she did an internal headcount, assessing them for injuries, glancing over her shoulder and warily analyzing her fellow mourners.

"Everyone's alright, Quinn. We're alright"

The ex cheerio let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding, relaxing at Rachel's words.

"You were so brave, sweetheart"

Except this time, it wasn't Rachel's voice.

Turning around, she looked up to find a puffy eyes Carole, Burt standing beside her with a comforting hand on her back. The couple gazed down at her, their expression nothing but loving. Never the less, Quinn immediately got to her feet, feeling Rachel move to stand beside her, placing a hand on her back.

"Mrs Hudson-Hummel, Mr. Hudson-Hummel….I'm so, so sorry for letting that happen to your son", the blonde managed, her voice shaking but her determination to get through this remaining strong.

The pair's faces fell even graver, if it were at all possible, and fresh tears fell from Carole's eyes as she pulled the young girl into her arms, holding her tightly and crying into her hair.

"Don't you do that to yourself, beautiful. You hear me? Don't you dare."

For some reason, the words didn't bring Quinn to tears like she expected the relief would. Instead, she simply clung to Carole, her fingers digging into the woman's shoulder blades, closing her eyes to steady herself before pulling away.

Burt rested his hand on Quinn's shoulder, looking at both Rachel and Quinn now.

"You girls…I just. I just wanted to say that you're like daughters to me. Both of you have had so much involvement in my family's life and we just…we wanted you to know that"

The man, normally so loving and comforting, had tears in his eyes as he removed his hand from the blonde's shoulder to cup Rachel's face, giving a small nod before leading Carole over to their position in the row in front.

"I miss him"

"I know"

"It hurts"

"It hurts"

They sat back down in unison, Rachel's hand slipping across from its position on Quinn's lower back, returning to her lap.

Kurt sat up in the family row, his head bowed as Blaine sat in the glee row behind, eyes never leaving his boyfriend, looking as if he wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold him. Santana and Brittany, the blonde resting her head on the Latina's shoulder, whispering words to the brunette who seemed lost. Artie, Sam and Rory, all wearing matching ties, sitting together in a silence that blanketed them fully. Mercedes and Tina, heads bowed and clutching at tissues.

Yet one was not among their numbers.

Quinn looked around, guessing that Noah may have retreated to the back. Instead, when she turned back around she found the mohawked boy clutching the side of the coffin, gazing down at the face of the boy he couldn't bring himself to look at that fateful day.

The blonde watched as slowly the crowd became aware of the tall boys presence, watching in a hushed silence as he placed both hands on the edge now.

"He hates his hair being like that", Puck whispered, looking up to the priest who gazed down at the boy with a look of sadness and confusion.

"And he doesn't like suits, he says they make him feel old"

Puck was turning frantically to the members of the family, his eyes wide and begging and pain filled.

"He doesn't like suits. Where's his drumsticks. He said he wanted to be buried with his drumsticks"

Sam was moving forward now, joining Burt in trying to pry the boy off his friend. Puck allowed himself to be lead away, but not before he completely broke down. It was a terrifying thing, seeing a boy so strong and young look so very weak and broken. And that's what he was.

"Finn, buddy, I didn't want you to die. I was only messing around, you gotta believe me"

And Quinn was taken back to the first sign of danger. When that damn lockdown bell had rang out, before they'd been thrown into this damn nightmare and thought the entire thing was simply a drill. When Noah had formed a gun with his fingers, pressed them to Finn's head, and pulled the trigger.

She ached for Noah.

The boy sat down at the end of the Glee bench, crying and whispering things under his breath, Sam clutching his knee and looking like he had no idea what to do.

The priest did the usual speech on how God had taken Finn so early in his life for a special reason, and that the turn out exemplified how many people had loved the young man.

Then it was the family's turn.

Carole pressed play on a large projector, starting young just as Mike had; but one scene caused Quinn to freeze. Finn shying away from the camera. "Go on, Finn, tell the camera your big news!", Carole cooed. Finn, shooting a bashful grin, replied "Quinn Fabray said she'd be my girlfriend!". He looked like he was going to explode in happiness. "Cheerleader Quinn Fabray? As in the head cheerio?", Carole prompted, clearly already knowing the answer. "And the prettiest girl in school!" Finn added, beaming.

Burt held a crinkled piece of paper in his shaking hands, clearing his throat several times.

"Finn was a great kid. A brilliant son. He was a good brother to Kurt, a good friend to his fellow glee members and a loyal team mate to the football team. But if there was anything in the world Finn loved being the most, it was being important to someone. He wanted people to feel good about themselves. So that's why I know he was also a good boyfriend to Rachel Berry, who he loved so very much."

The speech carried on, Quinn noting that now Rachel, too, was sitting stock still beside her.

Kurt's speech bought everyone to tears. Recounting the transformation of a boy who had assisted in throwing him into dumpsters to a brother who confided and defended, he couldn't help with give a watery smile.

"…Even if he always needed a little help with the girls in his life. I was always reminding him that Rachel was vegan and Mercedes had to help pick out songs for him to sing to her. Rachel picking out Quinn's corsage for prom"

Quinn was crying. Rachel was crying.

The corsage, for some reason always an object of memory to Quinn, had been chosen by Rachel. A ribbon to match her eyes, on her wrist so as not to distract from her face, a flower so beautiful.

Quinn didn't say anything.

Instead, she did only what she wasn't brave enough to do earlier, but Rachel had been. This time, it was Quinn who reached out to slip her hand into the singers, gripping tightly.

They remained like this, hand in hand, throughout the remainder of the ceremony. Hand in hand while Finn was placed in the ground. Hand in hand as they walked through the church grounds, silent more often than not, coming to a stop when they reached the parking lot.

Quinn let go first.

"You told Finn to get me the gardenia?"

"Yes"

Neither looked at each other. Quinn looked at her car, Rachel watching the crowd disperse. Silence was becoming familiar.

"I miss him"

"I know"

"It hurts"

"It hurts"

"Goodbye, Quinn"

"Goodbye, Rachel"

With that, they both got into their cars and drove home. In opposite directions, yes; but on the same road.