Thank you again for all the lovely reviews etc :) :) It's pretty overwhelming. Glee have decided to throw a spanner in the works with recent canon events, so let's just say that the next story I write may well be considering the Quinntana aftermath, but in this universe Quinn and Santana definitely haven't hooked up!

Wow, okay, Santana was not aware that it was even possible to crick everything.

After blinking at the ceiling a couple of times, she realizes that someone's alarm has woken her, and the soft sound of moving materials alerts her to the fact that she isn't the only one who is awake.

She announces her return to the waking world gently, in case either Rachel or Quinn are not fully with it yet.

'Fucking hell, I think I broke my spine. Shit. I'm crippled.'

Quinn's head appears from over the edge of the bed, looking down at her with all of her blonde hair entirely lop-sided.

'Pretty sure you haven't, and you aren't, Santana. Trust me.'

Asleep to sarcastic and judgmental in less than ten seconds; Quinn's always been impressive like that. Santana flips her off with a grunt, and pushes herself into a sitting position, all the while expecting something to pop dramatically.

'Okay, so not crippled, but can I just say that your brief vacation into the world of the disabled doesn't mean that you get to shut down all of my potential jokes about cripples for the rest of eternity. That's a rich vein of humor for me, right there.'

Quinn slumps back into the pillows again after a moment.

'How tough for you, not being about to mock the unfortunate.'

Santana frowns at her, and makes like she's about to yank the covers off the bed. Quinn looks horrified for a second, and clutches at them in fear. Santana laughs, and gets to her feet, stretching the kinks in her back out.

'Be nice to the woman who slept on the floor for you, okay, or this woman will pretend to hate the delicious breakfast you're going to cook her… I'm getting in the…'

Santana has already tugged her towel off the hook, when Berry abruptly rises and grabs her overnight bag.

'Shower! I'm going first.'

Seriously? The bathroom door has clicked closed before Santana can protest, and Santana directs her look of outrage at Quinn, for a lack of a better target. Quinn shrugs.

'It's Rachel. Her morning routine must be honored.'

Santana drops her towel, and instead pulls on a sweater.

'Fine. Whatever, although if Berry uses all the hot water I will end her. Come on, up, I'll show you were the eggs are.'

…

When she is fully dressed, Rachel pads into the kitchen, hoping to be presented with a coffee.

Honestly, for some reason, the thought of Quinn and her, in bed, listening to Santana's frankly terrifying shower, was all a bit too much. Rachel's trying to not get ahead of herself, and exchanging sleepy good mornings in the same bed when they're both still heavy from last night would have been the definition of getting ahead, she thinks.

'Finally!' Santana grumbles at her, before abruptly flinging the dishcloth at her. 'Here, dry up. Quinn, fyi, there's probably only enough water for one more person, so brace yourself for a cold one.'

Quinn's stood by the stove, and just smiles at Rachel for a moment, before gesturing with her elbow at a bowl by her side.

'Hi. Umm, there's some fruit salad there, for you. And I'm just making pancakes, apparently with this recipe you cannot even tell that there's no egg in them, so don't tell Santana that she's going vegan.'

Is this the stuff that dreams are made of? Rachel opts to find cutlery, rather than press Quinn up against the counter, but from the way Quinn's lips quirk up at the corner, maybe the dilemma was clear to see from her body language. The cutlery drawer is right next to Quinn's hip, and Rachel concentrates on the contents like she's performing brain surgery. She's shy.

Quinn kisses her on the cheek.

When Rachel looks at her, startled, Quinn's back to staring at the skillet, a half frown on her forehead. She bites her lip.

'Uh. Sorry. That's… that one just snuck out.'

Rachel cannot imagine a context in which Quinn would ever have to apologise for kissing her while making pancakes, with the possible exception of not kissing her on the mouth, properly. Rachel laughs slightly, and tugs at the hem of Quinn's sweater, mindlessly.

'Forgiven. Um. Not really something I'd ever get angry about, really.'

Quinn glances at her briefly, and smiles at her so warmly Rachel could swear she starts to melt.

'So, are you still okay for talking about this, at some point?'

There's a low hum, which emanates through a couple of walls, as the shower shudders into life. It reminds Rachel of why they can't really talk now. Or, you know, just make out, now.

'Really okay. Very much so. I'm excellent at talking about my emotions, for the record.'

Quinn rolls her eyes at her playfully, and flicks a bit of flour at Rachel, causing her to yelp and step backwards.

'Okay, good, but I'm not quite as skilled, so, you know, don't expect any speeches.'

Rachel brushes flour from herself, mock affronted, and busies herself with the cutlery.

'Says the girl who got into Yale on the basis of her words…'

Quinn hip checks her, and then seems to bite her lip to avoid laughing, instead frowning hard.

'Make yourself useful, Berry, find some plates.'

…

Santana wasn't lying about the shower not having any more hot water. Quinn feels like she's been chilled through, something at her core refuses to warm up, no matter how vigorously she bobs on her toes.

The platform is busy, always, and Quinn would feel a little adrift, were it not for Rachel standing next to her. Rachel blows into her hands for a moment, before rubbing them together quickly to warm them up. Quinn feels guilty at her suffering.

'You know, I did know the way to the station. And I'm definitely not going to get lost between here and the train. You don't have to wait with me.'

Rachel looks over at her, and then takes a step closer into her side, so she's got half her back to Quinn's front.

'Nonsense; I wanted to stay with you. Also, you don't mind if I use you as a windbreak, do you? It is a bit gusty, here.'

Quinn thinks about disputing being referred to as a windbreak, but instead just leans down to rest her chin on Rachel's shoulder. Rachel sighs, and tips her head slightly, so they're both looking at the as yet inactive train from almost the same perspective.

Quinn clears her throat, hesitantly. 'So, the train should be going in about five minutes. That means I guess I should actually get on with the promised talk I've been referring to.'

Rachel shrugs happily, as if things could be one way or another, she's content enough as it is. Quinn frowns, and pushes on.

'So. Um. Can we, maybe, I don't know, I mean, I'm awful at this sort of thing, I'm not sure I've ever even tried to do this before, but, you know, I thought that given our past few encounters it might be good to maybe, uh, meet up officially. At some point. You and I. To see what happens. To see if, you know.'

Quinn trails off helplessly, and wow, okay, that was certainly not how she'd imagined that moment going.

Rachel reaches for her hand after a moment, and squeezes.

'You know, your articulate nature is one of the many things I find attractive about you.'

Quinn's eyebrows raise, and she grasps for something intelligent sounding.

'Yeah? Um, I mean, uh. Indubitably?'

Rachel snorts, and turns to press a simple kiss to her cheek.

'We should, give this a go, I think. We haven't started in the most healthy way, for reasons mainly linked to my own poor decision making, but… I like you, and I'm attracted to you, and I'm guessing, from your behavior on our… what did you say… our past few encounters, that you like me too, so let's see, huh? Let's start simple, and…see.'

Quinn reaches up to cup Rachel's face, and looks deep into her eyes, very seriously.

'Rachel Berry, if you continue to mock me in this uppity manner, I'm afraid I don't hold any great hopes for our long term prospects.'

Rachel blinks, and then laughs at her, slapping in playful outrage at her shoulder and taking a step back.

'You need to get on a train before I reconsider, Quinn Fabray.'

Quinn takes that as her cue, and adjusts her backpack slightly. Greatly daring, she darts forward, and presses a quick kiss to Rachel's lips, lingering for a second.

'Promises promises, Rachel.'

Rachel tries to swat at her again, but Quinn is already dancing away, onto the train.

…

Brittany isn't leading Wiggle Class when she gets the call. Yeah, she's surprised too.

Instead she's found herself a hammock, and is trying to figure out how she could hang it up in her room.

Maybe if one end went over the coat hook on the back of her door, and… no, wait, that would be she'd be on her ass every time someone walked in. Brittany eyes the smooth surface of her walls, wondering if there is even enough blutack in the entire world for what she has in mind.

Her boob starts buzzing. Brittany jumps, and then fishes her phone out of her bra, glancing at the screen once and then picking up with a grin.

'Hi Rachel! What's up?'

'Brittany, hello. I hope you don't mind but I need to tell someone and I can't very well tell Santana, and Kurt would try and talk me out of it, thinking that he's doing what is best for me, but I really need to tell someone otherwise I will just explode, and I even returned to a coffee shop which had a friendly faced man serving yesterday, but he wasn't there and so I'm trusting you with this but you mustn't tell Santana, okay, because Santana thinks she's talked me into taking a break from relationships for a while.'

Brittany jogs up and down on her toes once, and lifts the corner of the hammock, inspecting the end up close.

'Whoa, okay, Rachel, save some words for the rest of us. Did Quinn, umm, propose?'

Rachel takes a really deep breath as if she's about to confirm that she did, when she stumbles over her answer.

'I, um, what? No, Brittany… but she did ask me out on a date! Or, at least, I think she did? Or maybe I asked her out. I don't really know what happened if I'm honest, but I'm excited and I wanted someone to be excited with!'

Brittany catches her own gaze in the reflection, and rolls her eyes, because how long has this been going on for now? Brittany feels like other people would have had kids by now, not be at first date stage. Could this be any more long winded? Rachel sounds really happy though, and it is catching, so Brittany ends up grinning.

'Aww, yay, Rachel! Um. If you guys do get married can I do a speech at the wedding?'

Rachel answers her very seriously, as if she's worried that Brittany's going to consult her planner and figure out when she will be free for delivering her speech.

'Oh, I'm not sure we're… I don't think we'll be, uh, getting married, any time soon, but…'

Brittany's phone beeps at her, and checks her screen.

'Hang on Rachel, I've got another call, let me put you on hold a second, be sure to hum to yourself one of those little on hold tunes, okay… Hi Quinn!'

'Hey Brit… I have some news for you, I guess.'

Oh man, Brittany lives for these moments.

'Is it… wait, let me think… did you manage to awkwardly ask out Rachel, and she said yes, which is super exciting and cool, although filled with slight jeopardy because Santana doesn't know and thinks that the best thing for Rachel to do right now is stay single?'

Brittany can feel Quinn squint down the phone at her, it is amazing.

'What, how did you… how did you know all that?'

'Oh, I read minds now. I've been attending night school. But, you know, Santana isn't going to have a problem with you two going out with each other, I'm sure. Maybe a bit of a problem adjusting, but, you know. She'll deal.'

Quinn grunts at her, and then there's a tiny announcement in the background.

'Anyway, I won't stay on, I'm on a train. But, you know, don't tell her. I think we both want to keep this… low key, for a while.'

Brittany shrugs, wondering vaguely if Quinn has any expertise in erecting hammocks.

'You told me, though?'

'Yeah, well, I wanted to tell someone. I trust you.'

'Oh yay, okay, well, bye Quinn. I have to go speak to the other line.'

'Wait, Brittany, who is on the other line? Have you been speaking to Sa-'

Brittany presses the button on her phone, where Rachel is definitely not humming, and oh, that's a disappointment.

'Hi Rach. So you and Quinn are probably going to want to keep things low key, for a while, huh? Less pressure that way. I agree.'

'You, you agree?'

Brittany hunkers down, and tucks the phone between her ear and shoulder, so she can use two arms to lift her hammock onto her bed.

'Oh, yeah, like, super smart plan. I approve. That way at least no one else can mess it up for you. The only people who can mess it up are the two of you, which I guess is kind of likely if we review your respective track records. Incidentally, have you ever erected a hammock?'

There is a small pause, while Rachel digests this, and then she says quietly, 'No. Why?'

Brittany eyes her enormous hammock unhappily.

'Um. No reason.'

…

Ashleigh is pretty sure that she could plot some kind of scatter graph which would demonstrate a positive correlation between Quinn's happiness and her desire to bake Ashleigh nice things to put in her mouth.

'Ashleigh, those were supposed to be for everyone, stop picking off all the marshmallows.'

Ashleigh inserts an entire brownie into her mouth to make a point, and then tries to talk around it.

'Y'know the theory'bout turnin into what you eat?'

Quinn looks like she doesn't really, but Ashleigh plunges on regardless.

'Well, I'm testing it. See if I turn into a brownie. Possibly the only way in which I could become more delicious.'

Quinn stares at her for a moment, and then slowly removes the brownie tin from arm's reach. She puts the lid on with a click, and places it on the counter behind her.

'Reminder; for everyone.'

Ashleigh waves her hands around to demonstrate that yes, she gets it, before standing up from the stool and brushing some crumbs onto the kitchen floor.

'What's the plan then? For the grand re-arrange?'

Quinn picks up the dish cloth again, and starts wiping surfaces, which already look pretty clean to Ashleigh, but whatever, if Quinn needs to not be looking at her, then that's fine.

'A few days of meetings, need to check in with Student Finance about funding, get my application rubber stamped by my tutor, then it's, well, start looking into accommodation, I guess.'

In the space of one weekend, Quinn has gone from wavering pretty hard about whether or not to staying on in education, to suddenly being definite. And seeing as this decision making happened during a weekend spent in Brooklyn, the link would seem pretty obvious.

'Did you and 'suddenly single' Rachel reach some kind of resolution, then? Please be aware that I already know that the answer is yes, okay? I'm just fishing for details.'

Quinn rolls her eyes at Ashleigh while smiling, and then shrugs.

'We thought we'd…you know. Try. Go on a date maybe? Keeping things… low pressure, right now. For all I know she could be rebounding, and for all she knows I could be, well, crap at relationships.'

Ashleigh has never heard such a downbeat announcement about a possible new relationship.

'Wow Quinn, the optimism is just oozing off you… for the record I think probably everyone knows you haven't got mad skills on the dating front for lack of experience, so Rachel's going in eyes open, there. Just, be yourself though, you aren't a total fuck up.'

'Thanks Ashleigh, that's reassuring.'

Ashleigh snorts after a second, and takes a couple of steps closer. 'What happened to the 'I'll fuck up and lose her' attitude? Is this personal growth, I spy before me?'

Quinn shrugs, and smiles at her.

'Hardly. I just… I guess things have gotten too far now to do anything other than try and hope for the best. So I might as well enjoy, and hope I can make it work, you know. Death or glory, that old adage. I'll just hope for glory.'

Frowning, Ashleigh wonders how hard it would be to side step Quinn to get to the brownies.

'Pretty sure that even you aren't capable of fucking up on such a momentous scale that this results in death, Quinn. Go with it. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Live life to the full. Dance as if no one is watching. Make out with pretty girls. Can I have another brownie? As a reward for all this helpful advice?'

Quinn rolls her eyes, and picks up the tin, handing it over.

'Seriously. Leave at least one each for everyone else. I'm going to go call Rachel; do not start playing weird romantic music outside my door like last time; it could have been my mom.'

'Yeah yeah, just trying to, you know, ease true love's course, gratitude would be nice. Off you go then. Tell her I said hi. Try not to die.'

…

Rachel gets a phone call, late that evening.

'Hello?'

'Hi… uh, I wanted to send a text, but then I thought that I've been doing a lot of that lately, and it would be a cop out.'

Rachel sits up in her bed, and tugs her comforter up around her.

'But, you know I like your messages. Please don't stop.'

Quinn huffs at her a little, as if Rachel is being unhelpful, somehow, and mumbles 'yes, well, I won't stop with those, but I thought I'd, you know, mix it up a little.'

Rachel grins at her wardrobe, because she needs to grin at something, and shifts backwards onto her pillows, stretching her legs out.

'Okay, well, I'm excited! Speak.'

Quinn clears her throat, and then sighs a little.

'You are making this quite awkward, you know. I don't have… an announcement, or anything. I just wanted to say hi. And, um. Good luck. For Friday. I don't think I said it properly.'

Rachel frowns briefly, and tries to think back.

'I'm pretty sure you did, actually. A few times. I am very grateful.'

'I… okay then. I… jeez Rachel, I'm just using it as an excuse to call you, can you not, like, interrogate everything please?'

Rachel laughs into her hand for a second, and then composes herself.

'Okay, sorry, uh… tell me what you did today.'

There's a pause, and then when Quinn speaks Rachel can tell she is grinning.

'Well, this morning I woke up next to this girl who snores like a chainsaw, and then…'

'Quinn!'

…

Kurt isn't depressed; he's not. Depression is not something that develops because one sole dynamic in his otherwise busy and glamorous city life alters.

He guesses he just didn't realize how much he enjoyed Brody's company. How he liked having a friend who wasn't a girl or a potential love interest, who could be relied upon to pop up every few days or so without any extra effort on Kurt's part. It was like having another room mate.

He is not going to let it get to him; Kurt is a supportive friend and ultimately Rachel is confident that she made the correct decision, and so he has to stick with that, and maybe try and make a new straight friend.

Kurt rolls his eyes at his own thought process, and checks his outfit in the mirror. This isn't high school. He doesn't need to make elaborate plans on how to make friends. That sort of thing is supposed to just happen.

'Rachel… what do you think of my new jacket?'

Kurt swings himself into their living room, where Rachel is sprawled out on their couch, looking relaxed and flicking through a magazine. She sits up and eyes him appraisingly.

'Love it, that color is… what kind of material is it, come here… ooh, yes. Love it. Wear it forever.'

Kurt runs his hands down the sides of it, and performs a small twirl, before perching on the arm of the couch, so as not to crease anything.

'You all set for tomorrow? Need to… I don't know, sing at me, so I can tell you that you are flawless?'

Rachel grins happily at him, and goes back to her magazine.

'Thank you, but no, I'm already confident on that front… I've got a good feeling, you know? I'm trying to trust my instincts.'

Kurt rarely feels the need to trust his instincts, because brains are for thinking not instincts, and this isn't the Serengeti, as far as he is aware, but whatever works for Rachel. He does, however, have a topic of conversation that he has been trying to introduce for a while, and this feels as good a time as any.

'Santana tells me that you are staying single for a while, huh? What's the deal with that?'

Rachel, if this were possible, seems to redouble her focus on the magazine.

'Oh, I wish Santana would find something other to talk about than the love lives of all of her friends… she thinks I get too caught up in things. Romantically. Which is a complete lie. I'm very understated about things, as you know.'

Kurt barely restraints the snort of disbelief that his body produces in response to that statement, but when he catches Rachel sneaking a glance at him he realizes he doesn't have to, and just laughs. Rachel joins in after a moment, and pokes a toe at him, trying to send him off the edge of the couch.

'You love it Hummel. Think how boring things would have been without all the drama.'

Kurt just smiles, because let's face it, things haven't been dull, recently. He asks the question that has been eating at him.

'Rachel… how would you feel about me trying to get in touch with Brody? I mean, I don't even know if he'll want to speak to me, but… I liked having him around, I guess.'

Rachel smiles up at him, and then sits up and throws her arms around his waist to hug him, paying no regard to his jacket. Repressing the instinct to fight her off, Kurt pets at her hair, as Rachel speaks into his chest.

'You are so funny Kurt… is that what you've been worrying about? You know that Brody does actually like you? He didn't just speak to you because you were there.'

Kurt rolls his eyes a little, unseen, but appreciates the gesture regardless.

'Good lord Rachel, my sense of self-worth isn't that low… I just thought that maybe he'd feel betrayed by me, maybe, for keeping secrets.'

Rachel squeezes once more, and leans back to look up at him.

'You didn't do anything wrong Kurt. And Brody knows that. Although if you are concerned that he is unsure I could possibly try to contact him on your behalf and re-emphasize your lack of involvement and awareness in my misdemeanors.'

Kurt laughs at her, and stands, waving the rest of her thoughts on the matter away.

'No thanks Rachel, I'm pretty sure I can organize this one myself… so am I to pretend that I believe that things are all quiet in your love life at the moment?'

Rachel grins guiltily at him, and Kurt can't help but feel a push of warmth towards her, because her moods are infectious, and the happiness is just radiating off her.

'If you wouldn't mind…?'

Kurt wanders over to the kitchen, checking the fridge to see if anything delicious is lurking.

'And I'd imagine that things are equally quiet in Quinn's love life, right now, no?'

Rachel rolls her eyes at him, and picks up her phone, cradling it to her chest as she lies down again.

'You'd be amazed, Kurt.'

The thing is, what with one thing and another, he actually is.

…