Haha, why did I think of Dianna Agron while writing "The family…" down below… beats me… lol. Miss her on Glee, though :-(

Same disclaimer as always...

Devin Jaste: Great idea :-)

tinythunder (M): Again, thank you so much for your words, they mean a lot!

Flyingpinguin: Yes, there is a difference between the Deutsche Gebärdensprache (German sign language) and American Sign Language. (Leider konnte ich dir keine PM shicken, um diene Fragen zu beantworten, da diese Funktion bei dir nicht aktiviert ist. Eigie Antworten findest du auch in meinem Profil.)

I'm glad you all liked Beth, I was really fun writing that scene!

Thanks so much to all of you for your words and encouragement!

Chapter 44

The beginning of Hanukkah fell on the twenty-fourth of December this year. Hiram and Leroy had already lit the first candle of the Menorah on the same night and they would light the second one tonight, including Quinn in the festive gesture.

When Rachel was little, she and her dads had exchanged gifts each night of the eight days of holidays, which of course was Rachel's favorite time of the year. As with her birthday presents, she would needle her dads until they told her what present she would get on the first day.

After Rachel had moved to New York, she did not have that much time to spend the eight days at home due to her many projects. The family started to shorten their festivities and exchanged the presents on the days Rachel was home.

This year, with their relationship being so shaky, neither the her fathers nor Rachel had expected to celebrate much or exchange elaborate gifts.

For Rachel, the greatest gift to her was to be able to discuss the problems they had after her accident and to see that her dads had really taken on learning sign language.

Their new found trust was still quite fragile and all three were making a real effort to stick to their agreements and promises.

Leroy and Hiram paid better attention to their daughter's needs. They remembered to announce their presence if she did not see them right away and they still tried to interpret every conversation they had.

In turn, Rachel talked a little more about herself, what she had been doing with her friends, her first dinner at home, the dinner at the restaurant and she even told her fathers about playing the piano at Kurt's house. She left out the singing part, though.

The more she told them about her journey over the past months, the more her parents realized that their daughter had been very lucky indeed to have such good friends. And that she had more stamina than they thought.

Secretly, they could not thank a certain blonde enough to have re-awakened Rachel's spirit.

It made both men so happy to see the brown eyes sparkle again, to see an honest smile, to hear a genuine laugh from their little girl.

They still felt a little deprived of all the experiences Rachel had made without sharing them with her dads at the time, but better late than never and Rachel even went as far as telling them about her current fears of the Glee Club meeting and how she dreaded telling all her old friends what had happened.

When Rachel and her fathers later looked back on this year's Hanukkah, they all agreed that even though their presents had been rather non-materialistic (except for the great books about Ellen DeGeneres she received from them), the thoughts and feelings they had shared and exchanged had been more valuable than anything else.

… … …

When Quinn came over in the afternoon of the twenty-fifth, they cooked a very delicious meal in the evening and had fun preparing the food together. It almost ended with Quinn and Rachel having a food fight in the kitchen right under the Berry men's watchful eyes, but a stern look stopped any further progress.

Food into the pots and pans, not on the clothes or floor, girls, Hiram signed and wagged a warning forefinger, making the girls laugh at his mock attempt to be serious.

"Dad, it never worked when you tried to look serious," Rachel giggled, which prompted Hiram to huff, then to stem his hands on his hips, standing up straighter and taller. He tried to keep a straight face, but failed miserably, seeing his daughter laugh harder the more he tried to exude some authority.

Quinn stood a little to the side, watching the exchange with a grin. She was glad that Rachel and her dads were trying to grow closer again; each acknowledging the other's needs and wishes. She had felt how the missing connection had burdened her girlfriend before and it was great to see all three of them interact in that playful manner. It felt natural and unforced, making her wish she had such a relationship with her own parents.

Quinn remembered how Rachel had told her on their way back from the Lima Bean about their discussion and how her dads had practiced ASL for her. The blonde saw the surprise and joy in Rachel's eyes and it had made her happy to know that this rift in the family seemed to be on the mend.

Again, she and Rachel had not had as much time to talk as they had wished for with Shelby being there and Quinn being expected at home later that day.

Hopefully they would be able to discuss a few things and also find some quality cuddle time tonight.

Quinn also noticed that Rachel was repeatedly snatching her phone out of her pocket, checking for messages and quickly typing answers every time she had received one.

The more she watched the silent exchange between her girlfriend and whomever she was texting with, the more uncomfortable the blonde felt. Rachel herself seemed oblivious of the looks that Quinn threw at her direction whenever the phone buzzed anew.

Quinn had already noticed Rachel spending more and more time looking at her phone some days ago, but had not given it much thought until today. She wondered why it was starting to bother her now.

When they all finally sat around the table, Quinn was surprised to find a small present on her plate. She looked at Rachel, but the brunette just shook her head and jutted her chin out in the direction of her dads.

"Is this from you?" Quinn asked surprised.

"Yes," Hiram answered. "Just a little Hanukkah-Christmas present."

Everyone signed along their words which made it easy for Rachel to follow the verbal exchange.

"Oh, you shouldn't have." Quinn answered shyly, feeling bad that she had nothing to give to them, besides the wine and her mom's self-baked bread she had brought for the dinner.

"We know, but we wanted to give you a little something."

Rachel nudged her in the side. "Go on, open it! I wanna know what it is!"

"You don't know?" Quinn asked surprised with one raised eyebrow.

"No. They went shopping without me and I'm still grumbling about that," Rachel answered and threw a glowering glance at her fathers.

"Tease her little longer, Rachel hates not knowing what's inside a wrapped present," Leroy encouraged Quinn with a wink, still not giving up on signing in parallel.

"Daddy, you traitor!" The petite brunette retorted. "But I have a good guess what it might be," she then grinned.

Finally Quinn managed to unwrap the paper and found a CD with the most famous Broadway songs, but all done up in different music styles.

"Wow, this is great! Thank you," the blonde smiled at the two men. Hiram caught Rachel looking at the CD case, scanning the song list and could not fight the urge to apologize. Even though the present was for Quinn, he felt bad that this was something Quinn obviously would not be able to share with her girlfriend.

"Rachel, I'm sorry, we didn't… I mean, we thought…"

Their daughter interrupted him. "Dad, it's ok. I … I can't completely avoid everything that has something to do with music. Not with having a girlfriend that is a famous Broadway star," Rachel smiled bravely at Quinn. "Besides, I did give you the hint about the CD," she added and looked at her father.

"Rachel thought that the music was similar to the concert you just gave in New York and she told us that some of the songs you performed were also re-arranged in a different music style." Leroy explained. "So we thought you might like it."

Quinn nodded. "Yes, I do! And the concert was a great experience. This," she waved the CD in the air and looked at Rachel and her dads, "is a great idea. Thank you so much!"

She also threw a look at her girlfriend to include her in her gratitude for the nice gift, knowing that it was still not easy for Rachel to deal with anything music related. Looking her deeply in the eyes, she bent forward and kissed her. Rachel drew back after a short moment and whispered: "Don't forget, my dads are sitting on the other side of the table."

The blonde leaned back and felt the color rise to her cheeks, but Hiram and Leroy only laughed.

"You want to put it on?" Rachel pointed at the CD, while her father exchanged a quick look, surprised at the question.

Quinn gazed from the CD case to her girlfriend. Rachel did not manage to hide the longing in her brown eyes completely as her gaze skipped between her girlfriend and the disc.

For a brief moment, Quinn wondered if her profession and close relation to music would be an obstacle in their relationship too great to overcome in the long run. Not so much from her side and that she would not be able to cope with Rachel's deafness, but from Rachel's point of view. She noticed that Rachel was really trying hard to include Quinn's love for music and her profession in her life. She tried to appreciate everything that came with it, as much as her limitations would allow her to do that. But the blonde also knew that coming from the very same background made it so much harder for Rachel to do that. The look in her eyes always betrayed her bravery.

Quinn had the feeling she was missing something important, something that Rachel had not told her, but she could not place her finger on it.

She nodded slowly to answer Rachel's question, even though she wanted to say no for her sake. But she appreciated the offer and took her girlfriend up on it.

Rachel swallowed and handed the CD to one of her dads to put it on.

She did not want to do it; she did not want them to listen to music she could not hear. But she also knew that she had to keep on facing such situations and that there was nothing she could do about it. So it was easier for her to make the proposition herself, keeping the least a minimum part of control on the acoustics that went on in her surroundings. She was already oblivious of too many things that went on around her.

They let the music play softly in the background. The conversation luckily found its way back to the light banter, until Hiram worked up the courage to ask Quinn about her experience with the ear plugs.

The blonde patiently told them what had made her get them in the first place and what she experienced when she was wearing them that evening. She told them about how important touch had become when words did not suffice anymore. And she described how difficult it had been to realize that the slightest sound that usually never got much attention suddenly gained so much more importance.

Rachel watched Quinn move her hands through the air and absorbed every word. She had noticed how the experience had affected Quinn, of course, but they had never talked about the details since they got lost in other important discussions that night.

The blonde looked at Rachel's fathers for a moment after she had finished talking.

She debated whether to tell them the rest of her thoughts. However, the urge to speak out overwhelmed her.

"Please try it. For Rachel's sake. It will give you a better understanding of her situation." She quickly looked at her girlfriend. Rachel played with the rest of her food on the plate.

"Rachel didn't ask me to tell you this, just in case you were wondering. And she never asked me to use the ear plugs in the first place. In fact she was quite adamant for me to take them out again once she found out." She quickly squeezed the brunette's hands before adding another sentence. "Later, she actually removed them for me, so I … I could hear her voice."

Quinn cast a loving look at Rachel and placed a hand on her thigh. Rachel smiled back at her from under her lashes. Leroy threw a surprised look at the blonde at her last recount. Then he looked at his daughter.

"You did?" Hiram re-assured himself with a raised eye-brow.

"Yes," Rachel simply answered and shrugged.

"Didn't you want Quinn to experience the same as you?"

"No. I mean yes, in a way I wanted for her to know and I appreciated the gesture, but going through this whole ordeal myself, I just didn't want her to waste one precious moment of her life not being able to hear."

Again the two men were surprised at their daughter's attitude and action.

Then the conversation turned towards how the two women first met after Rachel's accident, how they had coped in the beginning and what the most difficult things to deal with were.

Patiently, Quinn answered all their questions from her point of view, seeing how Rachel became increasingly uncomfortable with the topic. When Quinn came to explain what she missed most and how she coped with it, namely not being able to touch her girlfriend while talking to her, Rachel excused herself to do something in the kitchen.

Quinn followed her with her eyes.

Something was off. This feeling of being out of sync was back.

She had felt it some time ago, when they had not been able to see each other much due to her stressful schedule and Skyping had been so tedious and difficult. At that time, she had blamed this feeling on not actually being with her girlfriend and having to connect just via a computer screen with her.

Now, sitting right next to her and having the same feeling made it even harder to bear, because she felt like they were slipping apart from each other. Again, she could not put a finger on it; it was more like an overall feeling.

After a couple of minutes, Rachel joined them again. Trying to swallow the lump that was forming in her throat, Quinn focused back on the conversation.

Maybe she was just being a little sensitive. It was probably just the season or her exhaustion that made her overreact. Rachel took her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. So, yeah, she was definitely overreacting, Quinn told herself.

After seeing how open and honest Quinn had talked to Rachel, Hiram and Leroy realized that they should have acted much more open with their daughter. Instead, they had plainly refused to accept the fact and to deal with it.

The two men were not only interested in what Quinn had to say, they also wanted to know what had been Rachel's answers to all of Quinn's many questions. Patiently, listening to both women, slowly but surely the Berry men got a new picture of her daughter.

Their little girl had indeed grown and had become stronger and braver than they would have ever thought.

… … …

After polishing off the dessert, the two women wanted to help cleaning the kitchen, but Rachel's dads pushed them out.

"No! Go, we'll take care of it."

Rachel did not argue and excused herself quickly to use the bathroom.

Before Hiram shooed Quinn out of the room, he turned to her.

"I am – we are – really glad and grateful that you came back into Rachel's life. We know she suffered a lot from your … separation and then with the accident... Anyway, we are grateful beyond words for you having managed to pull her out of her dark hole, Quinn. You and her – your - other friends."

Quinn just smiled and before she could say anything, the tall man hugged her. After releasing her, he turned her around and gently pushed her through the door. "Enjoy some time with our daughter; I'm sure you haven't had much of a chance these past couple of days."

The blonde just nodded, unable to find the right words to say, but Hiram had turned around already anyway, busying himself in the kitchen.

In the hallway she met up with Rachel who had just come out of the guest bathroom opposite the kitchen.

Rachel lifted an eyebrow and looked at Quinn. "Usually they would force me to help until everything is squeaky clean. You seem to have a good influence on them, Quinn Fabray. You can come over more often."

Quinn snorted. Oh, thank you, aren't you generous!

"Oh yes I am. Very. I'll even share my bed with you!"

Rachel pulled on the blonde's ponytail and then raced up the stairs, squealing when Quinn was reaching for her legs. In her room, the brunette jumped on the bed and was immediately tackled by her girlfriend.

Very conveniently, Quinn had flattened Rachel on her back. Grabbing the brunette's arms and fixing them with a grip on the surface of the bed, she searched her full lips and hungrily kissed them. Feeling Rachel eagerly respond to the gesture, the singer loosened her hold on her arms and stroke one hand through the brown locks that sprawled on the bed around Rachel's head.

Quinn heard herself and Rachel moan in parallel, intensifying their kiss, accompanied by greedily groping at their clothes. All of a sudden, it seemed as if nothing was more important than getting as much skin contact as possible.

Before ripping their clothes off, Quinn just managed to kick the bedroom door close. She definitely did not want to have Rachel's dads listening in on their make-out session, not on her first night in their house.

Actually, never, she had as an afterthought.

Naked and exposed to the cool air in the room, Rachel's nipples grew hard and the sight turned Quinn on beyond reason. She lost herself completely in watching her beautiful lover, raveling it the glow of her still tanned skin, her long, shapely legs, her soft belly and her always beautiful eyes. She did not know where to start placing her hands and lips and it drove her almost nuts that she only had two hands instead of four or six.

Rachel moved below her touch and let her fingers dance across Quinn's back, sending sparks of fire along her spine. Moaning again, the blonde buried her face in the crook of Rachel's neck, nipping lightly at the soft skin. The movement caused Rachel to thrust up her thigh, teasingly rubbing it between Quinn's legs, immediately causing the blonde to flow over.

Throwing back her head, her eyes closed, Quinn bit her lower lip. "Oh god, oh god," was all she managed to produce while she slid over the smooth skin beneath her.

Catching a glimpse of her girlfriend, she found Rachel grinning smugly at the reaction she had caused.

"Want more?" she asked with a wicked gleam in her brown eyes.

Quinn dove down and sucked lightly on the soft skin of Rachel's breast, unable to control herself. The movement of Rachel's thigh ceased shortly, but it was enough for Quinn to catch her breath.

"I need you, Rachel. Now." She demanded, gazing deep into the mahogany colored orbs in front of her.

Rachel proceeded more than willingly with what she had started, teasing Quinn long enough to build her desire, but not as long as to torture her. When the release finally came, Quinn just hoped that the Berry men were still occupied in the kitchen, the room farthest away from Rachel's. As much as she tried, she couldn't hold in the half-groan and half-cry. It had been too long since they had made love. At least a week.

That seemed like eternity to Quinn.

Her whole body spasmed as the waves of her orgasm rippled through her. Each time Rachel touched her however lightly again on her swollen lips, nipped on her erect nipples and kissed her lips, Quinn lost control again until she lay panting and completely wasted on her side next to Rachel. She was not able to move in a long time, trying to catch her breath and stilling the throbbing pulse between her legs.

Rachel combed her slender fingers through the blonde hair, slightly massaging Quinn's scalp, helping her regaining her balance and composure.

Finally, the blonde managed to lift her hands, though she was not able to sign a coherent sentence.

Look. Forbidden. Smug.

Rachel chuckled. "I look forbidden smug? Is that what you are trying to say? That's not even a grammatically correct sentence, Miss Fabray."

Quinn lifted her hands again, holding them suspended in the air unmoving, before letting them fall back onto the mattress. Then she just dismissively waved one hand at Rachel.

"What now? You are too sedated to tell me you love me?" Rachel continued teasing.

That woman! Quinn took a deep breath and then pulled her close, gently finding her lips with her own and tenderly answering her girlfriend's question in that way. After breaking away, she signed:

I'll never be too tired to tell you how much I love you, Rachel. Or to show you, she added and began to cover the tanned skin with kisses, leaving trails of fire burning through the brunette's body.

Quinn loved how her touch caused the immediate physical reaction of Rachel's body with goose bumps and small moans escaping the full lips she had just kissed. Letting her fingers dance further down Rachel's legs, she then placed her face between the juncture of her legs, quickly licking at the already hardened nub between her soft folds.

Quinn's hazel eyes never left the brown eyes above her, the two woman's gaze locked while she continued her skillful work with her tongue. At one point, Rachel could no longer hold on and her lids fluttered shut while her body arched under Quinn's touch.

She was close to her climax and Quinn immediately ceased her movements, trying to drag out the mixture of agony and bliss that played across Rachel's features, begging for release with her hands in Quinn's hair.

The blonde moved up and let her fingers finish the job in a smooth motion that her mouth had artfully started. Rachel's fingers dug into Quinn's shoulders and the blonde had to bite the inside of her cheeks to not whimper out in pain. For someone being so small, Rachel had incredible strong hands and Quinn turned her head to nip lightly on one of her hands. This seemed to make the other woman realize what she was doing and she loosened her grip slightly. Quinn let out a grateful sigh and watched as Rachel rode the next wave and the next, until her body slumped under her hands and Rachel's arms fell limply onto the mattress, finally relinquishing the hold on Quinn.

The singer managed to move Rachel's light body with her own a little up towards the headboard. This way, she was able to wiggle the cover free from under them. She carefully placed the warm blanket around them and snuggled close to her still dazed girlfriend. Patiently, she waited for Rachel to come out of her dreamy state while Quinn played with the end of one of the dark strands of hair.

"Hey," Rachel smiled weakly.

"Hey."

"Mmmmthatwasgood. Imissedyou," Rachel mumbled, obviously trying to get her tongue to work again.

Quinn laughed, deciding to help. Carefully, she trailed her tongue along Rachel's lips, until they parted and granted her access. After a bit of tongues dancing back and forth, the blonde looked up again. Rachel caught her eye and smiled.

Back again? Quinn asked.

The other head slowly bobbed up and down. "Yeah, I think so," Rachel answered and then laughed quietly.

"I'm so glad we finally have some time for us," she mumbled as she nuzzled Quinn's ear after having pulled her girlfriend close.

Quinn felt Rachel's breath tickle her ear and nodded. Dropping next to Rachel onto her back, she lifted her hands.

I feel a little like a steam train rolled over me. It seems like last week just rushed by like a giant wave, leaving me totally exhausted.

Then out of the blue, she formed the next sentence before she could stop herself.

Who have you been texting with today? And the last few days?

For a quick moment, she thought she saw what looked like guilt flit across Rachel's features.

"Lauren."

"Ah." The blonde looked at her hands and felt the brown eyes studying her. Raising her own eyes, she met her girlfriend's inquiring gaze.

What?

"I guess I could ask you the same. Something is bothering you. So what is it? Are you jealous?" Before Quinn could answer, Rachel added softly: "Lauren is straight. You don't have to worry. I just like her as a friend, Quinn."

Quinn shook her head, not wanting to start a discussion, not with having just made love to her girlfriend. She already wanted to bite her fingers for having asked the first question regarding the text messages in the first place. Damn it, Quinn, think next time before you act, she scolded herself.

"Quinn! Talk to me. What is wrong?" Rachel frowned and propped herself up on her elbows.

Nothing. Really. I'm just… don't know. Guess I'm overreacting a little. Must be the stress is that slowly wearing off.

Quinn could tell that Rachel did not buy it and she watched her debating with herself whether to dig further or to let it slide. Then to the blonde's relief she chose the latter.

Which, on the other hand woke another little demon that told her that usually Rachel would not have let it go before she knew exactly what was bothering her. So why did she let it slide now? Wasn't she interested in Quinn's feelings anymore? Feeling a slight bout of panic rising in her stomach, the blonde threw herself on her back, pressing her fingertips against her temples. Jesus, Quinn, get a grip on yourself! Are you becoming paranoid now? Stop the drama in your head, for god's sake.

She felt Rachel's hand on her forearm.

"Quinn, I really want to know what is going on here! I think you know that if you don't want to talk about it, I will listen whenever you are ready to share what is eating you, ok?"

Quinn nodded weakly. She wanted to talk with Rachel about her new friends. She knew it was important for her to have people around her who were also deaf. But for whatever reason, she just could not bring up the strength to touch on that topic. And it made her mad not knowing why it was so difficult for her.

After a moment, when it was clear to Rachel that Quinn would not say anything further, she slid from under the covers, walked over to her bag that was on the floor next to her desk and pulled out an artfully wrapped present. Maybe that would help her girlfriend to push the bothering thoughts away for a while.

The gift had a rectangular shape and was the size of a large book. Curious, the blonde looked from the package to Rachel's face, finding a smile gracing her lips.

The brunette sauntered back towards the bed.

"I have a present for you. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, Quinn!"

Rachel placed the present on Quinn's stomach and added a passionate kiss.

Quinn was genuinely surprised and quickly sat up.

"Go on, open it!" Rachel nudged her with her elbow, looking eager for her to unwrap the present.

What, impatient to see what's in it? Quinn teased.

Rachel rolled her eyes and laughed. "Impatient for you to see what's in it, I obviously know what it is."

Carefully, Quinn peeled the paper away to find a photo album inside. Opening the first page she found a personal note written with golden ink on the black paper. Touched, she read Rachel's dedication.

Dear Quinn,

In fifty years, you'll look back upon a wonderful and great career and I know you will always remember your first great moments.

To help you jog your memory (not that I think you'll need it, but anyway, it might make remembering easier), I documented some of your early performances.

I am so proud of you!

Keep singing! Always!

Love, Rachel

"Aaaawwwww," Quinn was not able to say more before tears rolled down her cheeks. She turned and embraced Rachel, softly crying into her brown locks. This was such a personal and wonderful gift that it overwhelmed her completely. This thoughtful present also managed to silence the fears she had felt earlier regarding the influence of her profession on their relationship somewhat.

She pulled back and laughed, a bit embarrassed. Wiping her tears away she took another look at the photo album, while Rachel soothingly stroke her hand over her back.

Quinn turned the pages, quickly skipping through the book, finding photos and news articles about her from her first show to the concert she had given just three days ago. Apparently Rachel had taken some pictures with her phone during her visit at Les Bohemiens and the Albert Fisher Hall concert. There was also a picture that showed the banner in front of the concert hall announcing the performers.

It surprised the blonde singer that Rachel had also collected quite a few news snippets and critiques from the time they had not had any contact.

Carefully, she placed the album on the night stand before cupping Rachel's face, kissing her gently on the lips, then her nose, then her forehead and back on her lips.

Rachel, this is one of the most wonderful and personal presents I have ever received. Thank you so much, I …. I … words fail me. She let her hands sink, only to raise them again to pull her into another tight embrace.

… … …

Rachel smiled thankfully at having made Quinn so happy with her present. Then she thought about the other small package that still lay untouched on the bottom of the travel bag, waiting to be delivered.

Somehow she had lost the courage to do so.

After Quinn had skipped through the articles and photos for the second time, appreciating the pictures and handwritten descriptions that Rachel had added a little longer, she also slipped out from under the covers and retrieved her present from under Rachel's bed.

"How did you….?" The petite woman looked from Quinn to the box in her hand.

Quinn grinned happily at her surprise and put the package down to be able to sign.

Sent it by mail to your dads and asked them to hide it under your bed. Did it the next day after your birthday, when I knew you had told them about us. Otherwise my request would have been a bit odd, I guess.

"But you gave me so many great presents on my birthday already, I don't think I deserve any more. You shouldn't have, Quinn!" Rachel protested, but Quinn did not let herself be deterred, seeing the curious gleam in the brown eyes.

Come on sweetie, I know you can't refuse a present, don't you want it? Quinn picked up the box again, shaking it slightly.

Rachel smiled bashfully and nodded. "I love presents," she admitted sheepishly which caused her girlfriend to thrust the ominous box into her arms as if afraid that she would want to keep it for herself if she waited too long. Then Quinn placed a hesitating hand on the top of the package before Rachel could open it.

When she had Rachel's attention, she pulled back her arm and signed after a short moment:

This… is not like … I mean… it's not like a real present-present. You know?

Rachel shook her head.

"What do you mean by present-present?"

I mean like … I don't know. I… Suddenly nervous Quinn did not know how to put words to her thoughts.

Just open it, she then managed receiving a curious look from Rachel who was clearly wondering what was going on.

Cautiously, the petite woman fingered the ribbon and then pulled the paper off. Opening the box that was double the size of a shoe box, she let out a surprised "What…?" when she glimpsed the content.

Quinn chewed her lip, suddenly unsure of herself. Then she watched Rachel sift through the content, her eyes growing wider and wider until she realized what she held in her hands exactly.

"Oh my god. Are these…?"

Quinn nodded silently. Then added: I was never able to send them, but there was hardly a day that I didn't think of you during the past years.

Inside the box were at least eighty to one hundred letters, all addressed to Rachel. Some were in envelopes; some were just folded papers from a legal pad. There were also some notes scribbled on the rim of newspapers, apparently in lack of anything else to write on. A few were even drafted on napkins. It was a wide array of letters that all contained a part of Quinn's heart and soul.

Quinn watched with relief as Rachel kept on taking one letter after the other out of the box, her features never ceasing to display her surprise and love.

"Oh my god." Was all she managed to say.

During the time Quinn had deliberately cut any ties to Rachel and had desperately tried to forget the brown haired woman with the incredible voice, her heart had still wanted to explain to Rachel why she didn't want to have any contact with her anymore.

Then the explanations had turned into a description of Quinn's feelings about missing her friend and then into declarations of love.

Somehow, she had never found the courage to send those letters that bared her heart and soul.

She had not found the courage to burn them, either.

Fully understanding what treasure it was that Quinn had given her, Rachel bent forward, placing a hand on Quinn's cheek, looking her deeply into the eyes.

"This is… such a personal present, I… I don't know what to say Quinn. Thank you. Thank you for trusting me so much."

Please read them when you are alone. I'm a little embarrassed about some of them," she smiled, "but I figured, you might as well have them all. I want you to know what you meant to me. What you have always meant to me and how much I regretted hurting you so much and never letting you know why.

Rachel nodded, pressing her lips together, a tear slipping over the rim of her eyes, slowly tracing a wet path down her cheek.

The trust that Quinn displayed with that gesture suddenly weigh heavy on her heart and she did not know why.

...

...

Ok, next, the Glee Club... and, well, some things don't go as planned...