Our Year to Get It Right

Disclaimer: Glee doesn't belong to me. If it did, then I would try to provide better continuity! :P

Summary: Quinn believes that Rachel is making a mistake by getting married so young. Rachel has always been there for Quinn even when Quinn was at her lowest. It was time to return the favor.

-Chapter 1: The Bride and the Bridesmaid-

Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.

Quinn didn't know what reminded her of that particular quote right then. She hadn't watched Forest Gump in years. Yet she couldn't help but think that this particular simile was dead-on when it came to her life.

What was those chocolate pieces that nobody liked? Oh yeah. Those orange creme ones. That was also appropriate. Her life was one orange creme-filled box of yuck.

Teen pregnancy at sixteen. Getting kicked off of Cheerios and out of her house. Three boyfriends whom she either cheated on or was cheated on by. Getting outed as Lucy Caboosey. Dumped at a funeral. Becoming a juvenile delinquent Skank and losing her damn mind with that baby drama.

She had not predicted any of this. Somehow, in only three years, her life had become a ridiculously absurd soap opera. And she wasn't even done with her list! The most absurd thing to happen to her, the one life event that nobody in a million years could have predicted happening... Who could have ever predicted that she would end up standing in a dress shop looking for bridesmaid gowns as one of the bridesmaids for the wedding of Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson?

Life was like a box of chocolates, and Quinn wanted to find the person who made her particular confectionery box and punch him in the face.

Honestly, she didn't even know why she was here. She had made it quite clear that she did not approve of this wedding. But, somehow, when Rachel had asked her to at least get fitted for a bridesmaid dress in case she changed her mind by the time Nationals came around, she couldn't bring herself to say no. Damn Berry and her puppy dog eyes!

"Quinn, what do you think of your dress?"

Quinn turned around to look at Rachel in surprise. She wondered when the girl had stepped into her dressing room. It was astonishing how someone who usually had so much presence could move so stealthily.

The shorter girl was looking up at her with a hopeful expression, and that caused Quinn to smirk a bit. Quinn liked having to tilt her head downward to see Rachel. In the beginning, it was because it gave her a feeling of superiority to literally look down on the young diva. But now it was because she enjoyed seeing so much energy and enthusiasm come out of such a small body. It was funny and cute...

Quinn quickly averted her eyes. She replied, "The dress isn't bad. It's just a little too... pink."

"Does that mean you hate it?" Rachel asked with worry in her eyes.

"No, it's fine, really," Quinn said with a wave of her hand. "Pink's not my favorite color right now for obvious reasons, but I don't think the dress is ugly or anything. Besides, it doesn't matter what I think. You're the bride. It's going to be your special day. You're supposed to outshine the rest of us."

"I think it'd be impossible for me to outshine somebody like you," Rachel said softly.

Quinn struggled to keep her face composed even as she felt her body warm from Rachel's words. Did this girl honestly not realize the effect that her compliments had on the former cheerleader? It was absolutely amazing how Rachel could so casually turn her insides to jelly and not even realize it.

"You really have to stop putting yourself down, Rachel. You've had three boyfriends. You even had Blaine questioning his sexuality. You're getting married to the quarterback, for heaven's sake. And if it helps, you have very girly hands. Seriously, I think they're more feminine than mine. It's embarrassing."

Rachel smiled at her. It wasn't one of her usual megawatt Broadway smiles. This one was almost shy and made her look vulnerable yet happy at the same time. Quinn had seen this type of smile from Rachel before, but it never failed to make her heart beat faster.

"I'm glad that we're 'kind of' friends, Quinn," Rachel said, reaching out and grabbing her hands.

Quinn stared at their clasped hands then she said, "Rachel, I think under the circumstances that we can just drop the 'kind of' part."

The beaming smile she received this time somehow managed to surpass the previous one.

Yeah, one never knew what was going to happen in life. But even Quinn had to admit that she had been pulling some good chocolate pieces out of her box lately. She got into Yale. She got to see Beth again - yeah, she might have royally messed things up with Shelby but at least she got to see that her baby girl was healthy and happy. She discovered how much her friends in Glee cared about her. She finally got out of her own way and allowed herself to become friends with Rachel Berry.

Rachel's phone vibrated, and she released Quinn's hand to pull out her phone. Quinn's hand suddenly felt cold without the extra warmth around her fingers. Ugh, when had she become such a sap?

"We'll be done soon, Daddy. Yes, I'll pick up those noodles you like. Okay, I'll see you at home. Love you," Rachel said before she hung up and put her phone away.

"So we're leaving then?" Quinn asked. "Let me get changed and I'll be right out."

"Actually, before we go... can you help me put on my dress?" Rachel asked shyly.

Quinn discovered that it was possible to choke on her own saliva.

"Quinn?" Rachel said worriedly. Her hands hovered around Quinn, almost but not quite touching her.

Holding up a hand and taking a deep breath, Quinn got herself under control. Then she said, "I thought we were going to do the fitting next week."

Rachel clasped her hands together with a huge smile. She said, "I know, but I can't wait any longer! I just want to try it on for a few minutes. It's every girl's dream to wear a wedding dress. Come on, Quinn! It won't take very long. I promise."

Somehow, despite her better judgment, Quinn found herself holding a long, white gown open while a semi-naked Rachel walked toward her. The blonde girl felt extremely conflicted between the desire to be a good friend and the desire to ogle her good friend.

Yeah, if she hadn't realized that she was gay over the summer then this particular impulse probably would have clued her in...

As Rachel stepped into her dress and started pulling it up around her perfectly toned legs, Quinn struggled to come up with a topic for conversation that would keep Rachel from noticing how red her face must be.

"What happened to Kurt and the girls?" Quinn asked, finally noticing that the shop was strangely devoid of teenage voices.

Rachel shrugged. She replied, "Tina said that they were going to go plan my bachelorette party, but I have the sneaking suspicion that attending the shoe sale at Macy's was their true objective."

"And they didn't invite me?" Quinn asked with a mock pout.

"I wasn't about to allow all of my bridesmaids to wander off on me! How can a star shine if there is nobody around to watch and tell her how brightly she gleams?" Rachel said.

"So I'm basically here to fluff your ego," Quinn said dryly as she helped Rachel zip up the back of her dress. She was proud that her fingers didn't tremble at all in this task, but she had to deduct self-possession points as her fingers did linger for a bit on the olive skin of Rachel's back.

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Rachel said absently-mindedly as she looked at herself in the mirror and adjusted her dress.

Quinn rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help smiling as well. She didn't think she would ever get tired of Rachel's absolute lack of tact.

"How do I look?" Rachel asked, giving a playful over the shoulder look.

"Beautiful," Quinn replied honestly. Yet even as she admired Rachel's slim figure in her white satin and lace she couldn't help but feel that something wasn't quite right.

"Quinn, I can feel you holding something back," Rachel said. Her face fell. "I look horrible, don't I?"

Quinn sighed. She replied, "There is nothing wrong with the way you look. It's just... this dress is not quite what I imagined you'd be wearing when you got married."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.

Quinn hesitated for a moment then she decided to say what was on her mind. After all, Rachel said that she wanted upfront and honest from her, right? So she said, "I just always figured that you'd be wearing one of those specially made dresses created by some big name fashion designer when you got married. You'd have a June wedding in New York, maybe in Central Park, and it would be an absurd spectacle with doves and ice sculptures and celebrity guests. It would be covered by E! and make those Royal weddings look like a cheap company potluck."

While Quinn was talking, Rachel had been staring at her with a soft smile on her face. Her eyes had sparkled when Quinn had mentioned New York. Then her smile faded and she looked away from Quinn. She said quietly, "Well, we all had fairy tale dreams like that when we were little. Sometimes, life turns out in unexpected ways. Dealing with that is part of becoming an adult. Finn is the love of my life. It doesn't marry where or how we get married as long as we're exchanging our vows together."

It was a beautiful and even noble sentiment, and it would have been more convincing if not for the strain on Rachel's face and the smile that doesn't reach her eyes. Quinn felt her body fill with a rage that she hadn't felt since Puck had told her that he had slept with Shelby.

"Who are you and what have you done with Rachel Berry?" Quinn snapped.

Rachel's eyes widened and she took a step back. "Wh-what?"

"When did you ever just accept what life had to offer you? Where's the girl who saw what she wanted and went for it with no hesitations or doubts?"

"I don't have doubts," Rachel replied quickly.

Quinn leveled her best HBIC look at the brunette as she said evenly, "Bullshit. You've lost confidence in yourself. You're terrified of what happens after high school, so you're latching onto what's safe and familiar. I get that. I've lived that. It would be different if you really wanted to get married. But you don't. You're settling for what you have now instead of gambling for a better tomorrow."

Rachel was openly gaping at her now, and Quinn could see the tears shimmering in her eyes. The former cheerleader grimaced at the sight. She didn't want to make Rachel cry. She had done enough of that for one lifetime, but she couldn't stop now.

"You shouldn't be getting married before you've even graduated high school and started your life. Or getting married in Lima in an off the rack wedding dress!" Quinn cried. She had to stop to take a breath and blink back some tears herself.

"I hate seeing you like this," Quinn said quietly. "I'm not going to stand by and watch you ruin your life by marrying Finn Hudson!"

"I love him," Rachel whispered.

Quinn threw up her hands in frustration. She ignored the pang in her chest as she said, "Good for you. What does that have to do with getting married now? What's your hurry? Are your feelings for Finn so weak that you need a piece of paper to bind you two together? If that's the case, then that piece of paper is meaningless!"

"My feelings for Finn are not weak! I don't accept your premise that it is a sign of insecurity and weakness to marry one's high school sweetheart. Even if you were right, what's the big deal?" Rachel demanded. "If if doesn't work out then we'll just get divorced. All the big stars do it. It only makes them stronger. For example, Liza Minnelli-"

Quinn cut her off. She said, "No, that wouldn't happen. Finn would never divorce you, and you would never back out of a commitment like this. You're a romantic, Rachel. Even if you were miserable you would rather suffer tragically than admit that you made a mistake. Aside from that, how do you plan to focus on succeeding in NYADA and on Broadway when you'll also have to worry about propping up Finn, a boy who currently has no college or job prospects!"

"We can make it work," Rachel insisted weakly. "I won't say that it will be easy, but love is about making compromises. Sometimes, you have to put the other person first."

"At the expense of your dreams and everything else you care about? And what compromises has Finn made for you? The only one I see compromising here is you. That's how my mom was. Keeping my father happy was her entire life. Look where that got her."

"It's my life, Quinn. Why do you care so much?" Rachel asked. Her eyes bore into Quinn's, pleading for an explanation to help her understand.

Quinn wanted to run away from those eyes. How had she gotten to this point? She was supposed to be playing the supportive friend here. What was she supposed to say here? She supposed she could start with the truth. Or at least a portion of it.

"Because you've always cared about me," Quinn said as she sank down on a nearby bench. "When I was pregnant. Every time I tried to quit Glee. When I didn't become Prom Queen. When I went through my crazy psycho period. You were always there believing in me, trying to convince me that I'm a better person than I know. You... you made me want to be that better person."

Rachel carefully maneuvered her dress and sat down next to her. She asked softly, "My opinion of you matters that much?"

"I've always admired you, Rachel, even when I was trying to destroy you. Your determination. Your drive. No matter what anybody said or did to you, nobody could touch you. That used to irritate me so much because I never felt that way about myself. You can be annoying and bossy as hell, but you're strong and the most compassionate person I know."

Quinn locked her gaze on Rachel and said quietly, "You got suspended to help Kurt, and he was your NYADA competition! You care, Rachel. That's your greatest strength and your biggest weakness. Because you can't stand to see other people hurting, you hurt yourself trying to help them. You've given up solos for Mercedes just because she complains a little. You gave up your panties to Jacob Ben Israel just to protect me, your bully."

"You knew about that?" Rachel asked.

Quinn shrugged as she said, 'I heard him bragging about it to his loser friends. My point is that you're sacrificing yourself again. And for who? Finn Hudson! For a boy who constantly forgets that you're vegan and buys you a pig for Christmas. A boy who has never shown any real interest in your faith or your dreams and expects you to drop everything for his needs and his wants."

"Finn's a good guy!"

"I'm not disputing that," Quinn said even though she did dispute that characterization a little. Finn was not a malicious person and she could even overlook his dimness because he could be incredibly sweet at times, but there was no denying that his constant insensitivity and disregard for the feelings of others often made him a jackass.

A few sparks of empathy here and then didn't make up for all the times that he didn't even try to think about how his actions could affect others. Finn wasn't a bad guy. He was the guy who would have taken care of her and 'Drizzle.' He was also the guy who dumped her at a funeral. Quinn knew that she was no saint herself, but at least she was aware of how horrible a person she could be. Finn seemed to lack that self-awareness.

"But even you have to admit that he could treat you better. Rachel, Finn actually expected you to drop out of Regionals for him. There was no discussion of other options. No indication that he thought about how this would affect you or even the Glee club!"

Quinn let out a sigh of exasperation. She said, "I can understand worrying about reputation, but it looked like the idea that you might feel differently than he did literally never entered his mind. It makes me wonder if he really knows you at all or if he even cares to try."

"You're wrong about Finn. He said it was okay for me to compete!"

Quinn wanted to grab Rachel by the shoulders and shake her until she saw sense. She said, "You should have never been in a position where you had to get his permission in the first place! You really think Finn is the love of your life? No, he's a high school relationship. I'm going to be blunt here. You're better than Finn. At least who he is right now. Maybe when he's grown up a bit and you're both settled in your lives in the real world then you could talk about marriage. But not now. Not just because you're scared of being alone."

Rachel looked at her with pained eyes and tears streaming down her face. She said, "I guess I don't have your approval then."

"You don't," Quinn replied, trying and failing to keep her own tears from falling. The sight of Rachel once again hurting because of her words was almost more than she could bear.

"I'm still going to marry him, Quinn," Rachel said with an air of finality. She choked back a sob before saying, "And I don't want you at the ceremony if you're going to be like this."

Quinn had not expected any other outcome from this conversation, but the impact of Rachel's words still hurt her. Getting to her feet and gathering up the remains of her dignity, she said stiffly, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You've never listened to me before. I don't see why this time should be any different."

Walking away from Rachel, she thought about the last time they had a conversation like this. Their discussion at the time had also centered around how Finn didn't belong in Rachel's future. Quinn smiled bitterly to herself. The only difference this time was that she was the one rushing out in tears.

Author's Note:

From the beginning when I first started watching Glee, I had always suspected that Rachel had something of a crush on Quinn, but I didn't really give it much thought after the whole Finchel thing started. I started reading Glee fanfiction for the Brittana because they were the only Glee relationship that I actually cared about. Then I started reading all the well-written and moving Faberry fanfics that made me realize that maybe it was Quinn who had a thing for Rachel.

The most recent episodes of the third season of Glee have surprised me with the increased Faberry subtext, and it's mainly because of the stellar acting work of Dianna Agron. Her facial expressions just scream unrequited love. I don't expect an actual Rachel/Quinn relationship from the show though. Maybe at best we'll see a one-sided love on Quinn's part. Take it from a Harry Potter/Hermione Granger shipper. All the subtext and logical reasons in the world means nothing to a creator's shipping preference. But we'll always have the world of fanfiction.

Please review and tell me if you would like me to continue. Like Rachel Berry and Tinkerbell, I need applause to live!