Author's Note #1: It is a very rare occasion when a plot smacks me so hard it literally wakes me up in the middle of the night and I absolutely have to start working on it right away. Usually I just make a mental note not to forget it and go back to sleep and write it later. Not with this one. It woke me up and I worked on it almost non-stop for three days. I took breaks to sleep every now and then (only when my eyes were burning) and I think I ate a grand total of five times. I don't mean to sound egotistical but this is probably my favorite thing I've written to date.
Author's Note #2: A few ideas and some quotes were borrowed from Sweet Home Alabama (2002) and The Princess Bride (1987). Both excellent movies. I highly recommend them.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I just play with them.

Quinn Fabray was ten years old when her parents moved the family to Lima, Ohio from Denver, Colorado. The altitude change wasn't her biggest challenge, although her ears did give her trouble for a while. No, her biggest challenge was leaving behind her safe, secure, Catholic school to go to public elementary school because the Lima Catholic School was booked solid for the next two years. She was leaving behind her small group of friends, all of whom believed what she believed because duh it was Catholic school and they were good little girls.

When the guidance counselor escorted Quinn to her fifth grade class Quinn was absolutely petrified. She was the new girl who came two months after school started and everyone already had friends because they'd been together for five years already. While the teacher talked Quinn looked out at the crowd of students that were staring at her. Two girls in the back were sitting so close together that Quinn could barely see space between them. One of them was blonde and had big bright blue eyes and the other was tan with black hair and her eyes looked very angry when she glanced up at Quinn. There was a boy with a goofy grin whose desk was taller than anyone else's and even sitting he was a few inches taller than the boy next to him with the mohawk.

Before Quinn could survey anyone else in the classroom the teacher, Mrs. Jones, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to an empty desk next to a small girl that looked more like she belonged in first grade rather than fifth. She had dark hair and wide, dark eyes and she was wearing a blue knitted sweater with gold stars all over it, a blue and black plaid skirt, blue knee socks and black loafers.

"Quinn, this is Rachel Berry," the teacher said sweetly. "She was very excited to hear we were getting a new student and she's volunteered to be your buddy while you get used to the school. If you have any questions about where things are just ask Rachel and she'll be delighted to help you."

Quinn nodded. Rachel immediately hopped up out of her seat and grabbed onto Quinn's hand and dragged her to the back of the classroom and directed her to her cubbie, her name was already on a label. She hung up her jacket and took her pencils and paper out of her backpack then stuffed the bag in with her coat. Rachel took her hand again and led her back to their desks, as if Quinn would forget where they were. She put away the books the teacher had put in a neat stack on her desk and listened as the teacher talked about nouns and verbs, things she'd already learned. She let her mind wander and she looked over the girl to her left.

Rachel was fidgeting in her seat with excitement. Her hand was the first to go up anytime the teacher asked a question and she would scribble notes furiously in her pink notebook. There was a shiny gold star at the top of the page and when Rachel turned to a new page she pulled a stack of gold star stickers out of her desk and pressed one to the corner of the page.

The class had music that day and Rachel again grabbed onto Quinn's hand when they stood to line up. She didn't let go until they'd reached the music room and Rachel had introduced Quinn to the teacher and then pulled Quinn to sit down next to her.

"Music is my favorite," Rachel stated. "I've been taking voice lessons since I could talk. I'm going to be a Broadway star when I grow up."

Rachel's voice stood out when they sang their little songs from the books the teacher passed out. While everyone else kind of mumbled, Rachel enunciated and projected while sitting straight up in her chair. The music teacher always smiled at her. Rachel's voice just sounded good. Quinn liked it. She liked it a lot.

Quinn sat with Rachel at lunch and the girl smiled when she pulled a note out of her lunch bag.

"My Daddy always writes me notes when he prepares my lunch."

Quinn nodded. She pulled her own lunch out of her purple lunchbox that her mother had packed that morning; a ham and Swiss cheese sandwich, a bag of assorted vegetables, an orange, a small thermos of milk, and a couple of graham crackers.

"That lunch is very healthy," Rachel noted. "Is that ham?"

Quinn nodded and took a bite.

"I've only had it once. It tasted pretty good but I'm not supposed to eat it."

Quinn cocked her head to the side and took a bite of her celery.

"I'm Jewish," Rachel said with a smile. "We're not supposed to eat pork."

Quinn's eyes went wide and she swallowed hard. She had heard her father talk about them. The Jews. She never really understood anything he said but she could tell by his tone of voice that being Jewish wasn't a good thing. She didn't know why it was bad, having spent half a day with Rachel she didn't see any difference in Rachel than any of the other kids. Rachel did like to talk a lot; maybe that was why Quinn's dad didn't like Jews, because he always liked to be the one talking and if someone else was talking he would just talk louder.

Rachel obviously hadn't noticed Quinn's expression because she was rattling on about some woman named Barbra Streisand. Quinn finished her lunch without saying a word; she realized she hadn't said a word to Rachel all day actually. Rachel didn't seem to mind because she could talk enough for the both of them. Quinn was also observing, trying to figure out what her father wouldn't like about Rachel if maybe one day she invited the energetic brunette to come over and hang out. Quinn couldn't find anything she disliked about Rachel. As a matter of fact, by the end of the day, she really liked her.

"How was school, sweetie?" Quinn's mother asked when Quinn hopped in the car after school. Quinn gave a little wave to Rachel who was still patiently waiting to get picked up.

"I made a friend," Quinn said softly. "Her name is Rachel. She talks a lot."

"You should invite her to dinner so your father and I can meet her."

Quinn nodded. "Maybe."

The next day Quinn was excited to go to school. She met Rachel outside at the drop off circle and the short girl took her hand and pulled her to the classroom. They put their things away and Quinn was again pulled by Rachel to their desks.

"You don't talk very much," Rachel said. "You didn't say anything to me yesterday. At first I thought it was because maybe you didn't like me but if you didn't like me then you wouldn't have waved at me when you left with your mom."

Quinn chewed at her lower lip and waited for Rachel to pause for more than a split second.

"I like you."

Rachel smiled brightly and bounced a few times in her seat. "Good, because I like you, too and I think we should be friends."

Quinn nodded. "I'd like that."

Quinn noticed very quickly was that one thing Rachel never mentioned was her mother. She talked about her father, interchangeably using 'Dad' and 'Daddy'.

"Where were you before you came here?" Rachel asked at lunch.

"Colorado. I went to a Catholic school."

"You're Catholic?"

Quinn nodded. Rachel's eyes went wide and she looked somewhat similar to what Quinn thought she might have looked like when Rachel said she was Jewish.

"Is that bad?" Quinn asked.

Rachel was silent for a few moments. "No, it's not bad."

"Does your dad not like Catholics?"

Rachel shook her head. Quinn smiled. Something fluttered in her stomach when Rachel was quiet and her lips were pressed together. She looked kind of…cute. Quinn felt her cheeks get warm and she looked down at her turkey sandwich.

Quinn dodged her mother's questions about Rachel's background. She simply stated that Rachel talked about her dad and that she liked music. When her mother asked if Rachel went to church Quinn simply shrugged.

It was Friday, Quinn had been at school for five days and she was looking forward to the weekend but at the same time, the thought of not seeing Rachel kind of made her sad. Quinn and Rachel were waiting for their rides outside and Rachel was talking about the new music she was learning from her vocal coach. Rachel's dad pulled up and the brunette turned to Quinn and bit her lower lip. Before Quinn could ask Rachel what was wrong the brunette lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Quinn's shoulders. Quinn instinctively wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist. Quinn's heart was racing and she couldn't figure out why. She'd hugged her other friends before but Rachel was different. Her small body seemed to fit with Quinn's and her nose was buried into Quinn's neck and she could feel Rachel's breath on her skin and she really, really liked it. They hung on for a few seconds and when the brunette pulled away she had a shy grin on her face.

"I'll see you Monday," Rachel said quietly.

Quinn smiled wide and nodded. Rachel skipped to her car and jumped in. She waved at Quinn before her dad pulled away and Quinn just felt like twirling around in circles. So she did.

The weekend couldn't go by quick enough for Quinn. She kept herself occupied by finishing unpacking her room and arranging all of her stuffed animals and putting the rest of her clothes away. On Sunday the family went to the church her father had selected and met the clergy and the Sunday school teacher before services. Quinn went with all of the other kids to the basement for Sunday School and they lectured about being good and obeying their parents. All things Quinn knew already. After all, she had been at a Catholic school since kindergarten and they had to do an hour of Bible study every day. There were two girls there from her class, the tan one and the blonde one that always seemed to be together. Quinn gave them a polite wave and the other blonde excitedly waved back and the tan girl just glared.

The rest of Sunday, Quinn spent on homework and since she had nothing better to do after that was finished she helped her mother unpack kitchen utensils while her father was unpacking books in his study. Quinn's curiosity got the best of her while they were unpacking.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Is there something wrong with being Jewish?"

Her mother was silent for a few moments. "Not really, I suppose. They're not bad people. Just a little different."

"Why doesn't Daddy like them?"

"What gave you that idea?"

Quinn shrugged. "I heard him say mean things."

"He was probably just upset at a bad business deal, is all. Why?"

"Rachel's Jewish. But she's not a bad person. She just likes to talk a lot but I don't mind it."

"That's perfectly alright, sweetie. Try to make other friends, too, though. I saw a couple of nice girls that looked about your age in church today. They went with you to Sunday school. Do you know them?"

Quinn nodded. "They're in my class but the one with black hair is kind of mean. She pushed a boy into a wall but I don't know why. The blonde one seems nice though. Can Rachel still come over for dinner?"

"Sure, sweetie. She can come over and stay Friday night if she likes."

Quinn smiled bright. "I'll tell her tomorrow. She doesn't eat pork."

Quinn's mother nodded and Quinn bounced up the stairs. She wanted to get a head start on picking out her Friday outfit. It had to be perfect. She eventually selected a red knee-length dress and a white sweater jacket and she would tie a red ribbon in her hair.

Quinn was met with a tight hug from Rachel when she got out of the car at school Monday morning. Quinn's mother waved to them both and Rachel's hand slipped into Quinn's when the car drove away.

"What did you do this weekend?" Rachel asked.

"Unpacked. I have a lot of stuff but my room is all done now. And I went to church on Sunday. What did you do?"

"Tap dance class and voice lessons and homework."

"Don't you go to church?"

Rachel shook her head. "Only for holidays."

After the girls put their jackets and backpacks away Rachel's hand again found Quinn's and pulled her to the desks. Quinn thought about saying something along the lines of that she knew where the desks were now and even if she didn't, there were nametags on them. But she didn't say anything. It might discourage Rachel from taking her hand and Quinn liked it when Rachel's small hand was in hers.

"Hey Shorty," Quinn heard from behind them when they sat down. She turned to see the tan girl and the blonde girl standing behind them. The tan girl had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Rachel.

"Santana," Rachel said coldly. "Hi Brittany!"

Brittany grinned. "Hi!"

"We want to talk to Quinn," Santana said. Rachel opened her mouth but Santana cut her off. "Alone."

Quinn obediently stood up from her seat and smoothed out her yellow baby doll dress. She followed Santana and Brittany to the back of the room.

"Why are you friends with her?"

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows. "Because she's nice."

"She's a freak," Santana spat. "She's not like us."

"Because she's Jewish?"

"And annoying. And…" Santana smirked. "She has two dads."

Quinn scoffed. "That's…"

Santana shrugged. "I told you, she's a freak."

Quinn looked over her shoulder at the small girl who was looking apprehensively at the trio in the back of the room. The young blonde recalled an entire Bible study session before she moved about men and women and how they were supposed to be together because they could have babies and how it was wrong to do anything else. Quinn had always gone along with what she was taught because that was what her parents and her teachers said was right. What she couldn't figure out about that particular lesson though, was that Jesus always talked about loving people so why would He ever allow for someone who loved someone else to go to Hell? It just didn't make sense in her brain. Instead of asking questions she simply nodded with the rest of the class and wrote down the answers on the review sheet that she knew the teacher would give her a high grade on.

"She's not a freak," Quinn said quietly, turning back to Santana and Brittany. "She just likes to talk a lot. And I like her."

"You're a freak, too, then. And I'm going to tell everyone."

Quinn shrugged. "Go ahead." She turned around and walked back to her desk with a smile on her face. She dropped down next to Rachel and took the girl's small hand in hers.

"What did they say about me?" Rachel asked quietly, looking down at her and Quinn's hands.

"Did they tell you I'm a freak? It's what they tell all of the new kids. It's why I don't have any friends."

"You're not a freak. And I'm your friend now and you're coming to my house on Friday for a sleepover."

Rachel's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Quinn nodded. "My mom already said it was okay."

"Did…Did Santana say anything else about me?"

Quinn nodded again. "I think having two dads would be fun," she said. "Dads are fun so you get twice the fun, right?"

Rachel smiled and threw her arms around Quinn's neck and Quinn's immediately went to Rachel's waist. Quinn felt the flutter in her heart when Rachel's nose was again nuzzled into her neck for the second time that day.

The pair spent every possible moment they could planning their sleepover. Rachel was horrified that Quinn had never heard of Barbra Streisand and promised to bring one of her movies and a CD with her so Quinn could "fully experience Ms. Streisand's magnificence". They talked on the phone every night that week and Quinn's mom talked to one of Rachel's dads, Daniel. They agreed that Rachel could come home with Quinn that Friday and Daniel would pick her up Saturday afternoon.

Quinn and Rachel were both bouncing all day Friday and time seemed to drag on forever until three o'clock when the dismissal bell finally rang. Quinn's mother was waiting when they came running out of the school, Quinn dragging Rachel this time. They hopped into the back seat of the car and Quinn's mother smiled.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Rachel," she said. "We've heard so much about you."

"It's wonderful to meet you, too, Mrs. Fabray," Rachel said politely.

The minute the car was turned off Quinn was again pulling Rachel along and through the garage door, up the stairs and into her bedroom. She took Rachel's overnight bag and dropped it at the foot of the bed.

"Wow," Rachel said, looking at the corner of the beige room that was occupied entirely with stuffed animals. "That's a lot of stuffed animals."

"I like them," Quinn said.

"Me too." Rachel looked around and Quinn watched nervously.

She didn't know if Rachel would like her room or not but Quinn liked it and it seemed as though Rachel liked whatever Quinn liked and the other way around.

"Do you like my room?"

"I do! You have a very big bed," Rachel said, gesturing to the queen sized canopy bed that was centered on the wall opposite the stuffed animals.

"It used to be my sisters but she's in college in California now so my Daddy said I could have it."

"Is your dad nice?"

Quinn shrugged. "He's nice to me. He used to take me and my sister to baseball games and he buys me lots of things. If I tell him to be nice to you then he will."

Rachel gave a weak smile and Quinn did the only thing she could think of to do to reassure Rachel and she wrapped her arms around the short girl's waist. Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck and they just stood in the embrace. Quinn's heart was racing.

"I'm glad we're friends," Quinn whispered.

"Me too," Rachel whispered back.

When the brunette pulled away she hesitated for a moment then went back in and kissed Quinn's cheek. Quinn turned bright pink and touched her fingers to the spot where Rachel's lips had connected with her skin. Rachel stood back and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. Quinn smiled.

"Do you want a snack?"

Rachel nodded. Quinn took her hand and led her down the stairs to the kitchen.

After dinner and a few wary glances from her father and polite conversation about Lima and Ohio weather, Quinn and Rachel settled themselves upstairs in Quinn's room with a giant bowl of popcorn and two bottles of Pepsi to watch the movie Rachel brought with her. The woman singing was the one Rachel kept talking about and Quinn smiled when she saw Rachel's eyes light up during one of the songs the woman sang about rain and parades. Quinn wasn't really paying much attention because at some point Rachel's hand had made its way across the small gap that separated them and her fingers had laced with Quinn's and she hadn't let go or moved at all.

When the move was finished the pair sat in silence until Quinn spoke.

"I liked the movie," she said.

Rachel beamed. "I'm glad. I usually sing along to it but I wanted you to hear Barbra."

Quinn let a small smile fall on her lips. "Will you sing for me?" she asked quietly. "I hear you sing in music class and I like it…I want you to sing for me where I can only hear you."

Rachel nodded with a huge smile. "Okay," she said softly. She bounced off the bed and rummaged around in her overnight bag. She pulled out a CD and Quinn pointed to the CD player that was next to the TV. Quinn sat up straight and watched Rachel press buttons to find the right track. The familiar music that Barbra Streisand had been singing about rain and parades echoed in Quinn's room. She paid more attention this time because it was Rachel and Rachel deserved all the attention in the world.

When Rachel finished, Quinn applauded and smiled brightly. The brunette took a bow and bounced back up on the bed. Her foot caught on the edge and she went flying forward and the next thing Quinn knew she was flat on her back and Rachel was on top of her with one arm on either side of her head and Quinn was sure her heart might burst out of her chest.

Rachel swallowed hard and she didn't smile or move or do anything. Quinn's eyes just stayed connected with Rachel's and neither one dared move until there was a knock at the bedroom door and Rachel jerked upward, sitting back on her knees. Quinn's mother entered the bedroom and smiled at the two girls. They both smiled back.

"Your father and I are going to bed," she said. "Don't stay up too late."

Both girls nodded and Quinn's mother shut the door. Quinn turned her attention back to Rachel and the brunette was looking at her wide-eyed, almost scared. She was breathing hard and her face was red and Quinn was sure, without even looking in a mirror, that she looked just the same. Rachel scrambled off the bed and went to her overnight bag. She pulled out bright pink pajamas and her toothbrush.

"Bathroom?" Rachel asked softly.

Quinn slid off the bed and reached out for Rachel to take her hand. The short girl hesitated but reached out and slipped her hand into Quinn's and the blonde led her to the bathroom that was just down the hall. Quinn quickly changed into her pajamas when she went back to her room, they were pale blue. When Rachel returned Quinn took her turn in the bathroom. She looked in the mirror to see her cheeks were still tinged pink. She brushed her teeth slowly, hoping the blush would go away. When it was mostly gone she padded her way back to her room to find Rachel in the middle of her bed scribbling away in a hard cover pink book with a hand-drawn gold star on the front.

"Do you want to watch another movie?" Quinn asked.

Rachel looked up from her book. "Sure. You pick it out, nothing scary though."

Quinn nodded and started looking through her shelf of movies trying to find one that wouldn't make her look like a total dork. Most of what she had were movies approved by the general Catholic population. She had managed to keep a few movies her sister had bought when she was in high school and left behind when she went to college. Quinn occasionally glanced over her shoulder and Rachel was still scribbling. Her eyebrows would furrow sometimes when she stopped writing. Quinn had picked up that meant Rachel was thinking really hard.

"What about The Princess Bride?" Quinn asked, spotting her copy.

Rachel looked up from her book again and smiled. "I like that one."

Quinn grabbed the DVD case and slipped the disc into her DVD player and pressed play. She hopped back up on the bed and patiently watched the menu screen while Rachel finished whatever she was doing. When Rachel shut the book and tucked it away in her overnight bag she crawled back up to the head of the bed and slipped underneath the blankets. Quinn got up and turned off the light then settled herself in bed next to Rachel. The small brunette scooted to the center of the bed and Quinn did the same. Rachel grabbed onto Quinn's arm and moved it around her back; Quinn took the hint and wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulders. Rachel settled her head on Quinn's shoulder and the blonde hit 'play'.

When Quinn woke up in the morning she was on her side and Rachel was snuggled into her back and breathing heavy. Her TV was on the menu screen for The Princess Bride and she vaguely remembered falling asleep somewhere around Princess Buttercup and Westley making their way through the Fire Swamp. Quinn quietly rolled over and Rachel only snuggled closer, her face pressed to Quinn's chest. The blonde was afraid she might wake Rachel up with how hard her heart was beating.

When Rachel's 'Dad' Daniel picked her up that afternoon Quinn's father invited him in and they talked business for a while. Quinn and Rachel sat at the top of the stairs and Quinn heard her father ask about Rachel's mother and all Daniel said was "she's not in the picture". Rachel's shoulders slumped and she looked down at her skirt.

"What's your other dad's name?" Quinn asked softly.

"Jason. But Dad handles everything at school and with the parents because people don't like that I have two dads."

"Can I come over to your house for a sleepover next time?"

Rachel smiled. "Yeah."

It was an unspoken yet understood fact that Quinn's parents couldn't know about Rachel's other dad. Quinn's first sleepover at Rachel's was three weeks after the sleepover at Quinn's. Daniel picked the girls up from school Friday and dropped Quinn off Saturday afternoon on the way to Rachel's dance class. The routine worked perfectly for every night Quinn spent with Rachel.

Rachel and Quinn became synonymous with each other very quickly, much like Brittany and Santana. Quinn's heart kept fluttering when Rachel would hug her and Quinn almost felt incomplete without the short brunette around. Her parents still insisted that Quinn needed to make new friends and started making her go to Wednesday night Bible study at the church. Quinn always made sure to pay attention because her father asked her every week what she learned but she didn't make many new friends. They were mostly just acquaintances that were either in different classes at her school or went to the Catholic school.

When Quinn started getting a horrible knot in her stomach every time Rachel so much as looked at her she decided it was time for some advice. When she was little she had listened to her sister and her friends giggle and squeal about cute boys and how "just looking at him makes my heart feel like it will burst out of my chest!" She figured that was her best bet for good advice.

Quinn grabbed the phone card out of her desk drawer that her sister gave her before she left for college in case Quinn needed anything and rummaged around until she found the piece of paper with her cell phone number on it. She waited until her parents went to bed before sneaking down the stairs to her father's study to use the phone. She dialed the numbers carefully and an automated voice told her she had two hours of talking time and then it rang.

"Hello?" Quinn's sister answered.

"Kerry, it's Quinn."

"Hey you! Long time no talk, how are you doin' kiddo?"

"I'm good," Quinn sighed. "How's college?"

"It's great, Q! I've got tons of new friends but I miss you like crazy!"

"I miss you, too," Quinn said softly.

"How's your new school?"

"It's pretty fun. I have a new best friend, her name's Rachel." Quinn's stomach knotted even just saying the girl's name.

"Yeah, Mom and Dad told me about her. It sounds like you guys are pretty close. I'm so glad it's been easy for you, Q. I was pretty worried there for a while, I gotta say. You're pretty quiet until someone breaks the shell and you really make it hard sometimes."

"Yeah."

"Is there something bothering you, baby sis?"

"Kind of."

"You want to talk about it? I've got all night, already finished my homework and everything. My roommate is out for a while. I'm all yours until the phone card runs out."

Quinn sighed. "Have you ever been in love, Ker?"

Kerry laughed. "You get yourself a little boyfriend, too?"

Quinn groaned. "I just want to know what it's like. You had a boyfriend when we lived in Colorado and you always told Melanie and Audrey how much you loved him."

"You little squirt, you were eavesdropping!"

"I'm your little sister, that's what I'm supposed to do," Quinn said with a grin.

Kerry sighed. "Okay let's see…love. Well, I did love Jonah in high school but since he went to New York and I'm in California we knew it wouldn't work out so we broke up. It was kind of like…you know how you told me when you were six and had to sing a solo in the Sunday school program that it felt like your insides were being attacked by butterflies?"

Quinn swallowed hard. "Yeah."

"It feels kind of like that. You just feel like…you feel like if you don't have them around then you're not really whole. Then when you are around them it's like your heart's going to explode right out of your chest. You just want to be around them all the time and you can see yourself with them forever, no matter what."

Quinn's mouth went dry and she nodded even though she knew her sister couldn't see her.

"You okay, Quinn?"

"Yeah."

"You're too young for all of that anyways. It's probably just a little crush. What's his name?"

"Um…" Quinn scrolled through the boys in her class to try and come up with something. "Finn," she blurted out. "Finn Hudson. He's really tall and kind of goofy."

"That's adorable, Q."

Quinn sighed. "I'll probably get over it. I'm not allowed to have a boyfriend anyways."

"Not until you're fifteen. Same rules with me. Make sure when you do get that age and find a boy you like that you bring him home to meet Mom and Dad first. Dad will like him better."

"Okay. Are you coming home for Christmas?"

"I think so. Dad is working on getting my plane ticket. I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you, either. I should go to bed, it's getting late and I don't want to get in trouble."

"Okay Quinn. Sweet dreams."

"You too, Ker. Thanks for everything."

"No problem squirt, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Quinn hung up the phone and sighed. It was official. What she'd suspected since the first night the short brunette spent at her house had just been confirmed. She was in love.

Quinn didn't let things change with Rachel after her realization/confirmation. It was snowing now and even though it was cold they always waited for each other in the morning and endured the cold in the afternoon to stand outside together and wait for their rides. Christmas break was great because Rachel could come to Quinn's house anytime. Quinn's parents wouldn't let her go anywhere because her sister was home but she and Rachel had fun listening to Kerry talk about her adventures in California at UCLA and spotting different celebrities around town. Rachel again stated she was going to be a star someday but it would be on Broadway. She said she would do movies, though, as long as she got to sing she didn't really care. Quinn smiled at Rachel's ambition.

Rachel snuggled down in Quinn's bed one of the nights she stayed at the Fabray house over break and Quinn hopped in after her. Both girls shared a fit of giggles at absolutely nothing before finally calming down. Quinn rolled over to face Rachel and the small brunette was smiling and her eyes were lit up. Seeing this made Quinn smile. After a few moments Rachel's smile disappeared and Quinn's heart felt sad.

"Can I tell you a secret, Quinn?"

"Yeah."

"Promise you won't tell anyone or get mad?"

"I promise."

Rachel took a deep breath. "I like you."

Quinn blinked a few times. "That's not a secret."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not. Everyone knows we're friends."

"I know they do…but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about that I like you. Like Westley liked Princess Buttercup."

Before Quinn could respond something happened. Rachel was really, really close for a second and the brunette's eyes were closed and she out of nowhere just kissed her. It was quick and kind of weird and Quinn was startled and before she could respond to that, Rachel had rolled over and curled into a ball. Quinn blinked a few times to process what happened. When it finally hit her that Rachel had just kissed her she could do nothing but smile.

"Rachel…"

"I'm sorry," Rachel squeaked. "Go to sleep, okay?"

Quinn thought a moment before speaking again. She scooted close to Rachel and whispered in the small girl's ear. "As you wish."

Rachel gasped and Quinn snuggled into her back and fell asleep.

The routine of pick-ups and drop-offs revolving around Rachel and Quinn's sleepovers continued to run smoothly and Rachel and Quinn were closer than they thought possible. Every now and then one of them would just lean to the other and kiss her and they'd both giggle and blush and hold hands and Quinn was certain this was how she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Rachel would be a big star and Quinn would be a…Quinn wasn't sure what she'd be but she didn't really care because she would be by Rachel's side and that's all that mattered.

Things were perfect. But as the saying goes, what goes up must come down. And Quinn's world came down. Hard.

Rachel was spending the night at Quinn's house and she tripped and fell down half the flight of stairs. Rachel screeched because her wrist hurt and Quinn's mother almost fainted at the sight, it was most definitely broken. Quinn's mom called Daniel's cell phone and told him what happened and they were taking Rachel to the hospital right away. The thought that both of Rachel's dads would show up at the hospital was completely forgotten by the young girls. Quinn had her arm wrapped around Rachel's shoulder on the way to the emergency room. Rachel was attempting to be stoic, she held back her tears and just kept her jaw clenched shut.

When they got to the emergency room Rachel's dads were waiting outside and when they pulled up Jason opened the car door and Rachel reached for him, Jason picked her up Quinn's parents looked at each other curiously. They got out of the car and Quinn did, too. When Quinn's parents saw Daniel standing next to Jason and when Rachel called Jason "Daddy" Quinn could see her father turn bright red even though it was dark out and she saw her mother's jaw drop slightly.

Quinn swallowed hard. The two men looked up from Rachel at the three Fabrays and Quinn looked down at the pavement. She felt her father's strong hand squeeze her shoulder and she heard the low growl come from low in his chest that signaled he was absolutely furious. Her heart sank. She knew it was over. She glanced up at Rachel who was holding her wrist and looking down at Quinn, horrified. Rachel knew, too.

Quinn's father guided her back into the car and she was thankful that he actually didn't speak to Rachel's dads but simply got back in the car and so did her mother. The ride back to the Fabray house was silent. When they entered the house Quinn was again held on to by the shoulder and guided to the sitting room. Quinn sat on one couch and her parents sat on another across from her. Quinn looked at the floor.

"Look at me," her father growled.

Quinn looked up.

"You've been lying to us."

Quinn nodded. "I thought maybe if you saw Rachel was…"

"Quinn, I know you listened in church. What they do is wrong! They're going against God and if you think it's okay then you're going against Him, too!" he thundered.

"But they're nice…"

"Stop. You're not allowed to go to their house again and you're not allowed to talk to Rachel anymore."

"No!" Quinn shrieked and stood up. Her father stood and glared down at her. "Please, Daddy, no! Please don't!"

"My decision is final."

"No! Please…" Quinn begged. "Please don't! Rachel's my best friend!"

"Either you stay away from her voluntarily living here or we send you back to Colorado to live with your grandparents."

Quinn's mouth gaped open. Her Daddy would really send her away over all of this. Quinn dropped back to the couch. She could stay here and be pained with seeing Rachel every day but not be able to talk to her or she could run the risk of never seeing her again.

"I'll stay," Quinn whispered.

"I'm writing a letter to the school and having you transferred to a different class immediately so you're not tempted. And I will know if you talk to her and if you do then you're going back to Colorado."

Quinn nodded and let out a quiet sob.

Monday morning Quinn prayed with everything she had that Rachel would get to school after she did so she didn't have to see her at the drop-off circle. Her prayers weren't answered. Rachel was standing there with a bright pink cast on her left arm. Quinn's father parked the car and they both got out. Quinn saw Rachel's eyes light up until Quinn's father wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Rachel's smile faded and Quinn watched longingly as Rachel went in the side door while her father led her to the main doors and into the principal's office.

Quinn was moved to a classroom down the hall, her new teacher was Ms. Greene. She was allowed to go to her old classroom to clean out her desk. Her father watched from the door. Rachel didn't say anything while Quinn packed away her pencils and paper. Quinn glanced up at her father who was momentarily distracted by picking at one of his fingernails and she discreetly slipped Rachel a note.

The clock seemed to move extra slow during the morning and when lunch finally came Quinn walked obediently towards the cafeteria but jumped out of line just before she got there and ran through the halls until she got to the music room. Rachel was waiting for her. Quinn pulled her inside the empty classroom and locked the door behind them. She pulled the brunette out of sight from the door.

"We don't have much time," Quinn said. "At church I told Santana and Brittany I would sit with them today."

"What happened?" Rachel was on the verge of tears.

"I'm not allowed to talk to you anymore. My dad made the school switch me to Ms. Greene's class because she goes to our church and he knows she agrees with what they believe. He said if he finds out we're talking then he'll send me back to Colorado to live with my grandparents."

"He can't do that!"

Quinn reached out and Rachel fell into her arms and cried.

"We can still talk at school though, right? We can come here during lunch and…"

"We can't Rachel. Santana and Brittany will know something's up and Santana will tell. I'm sorry, Rachel…I'm so sorry but we can't," Quinn choked. "We can't…"

"Promise you won't forget…about us?" Rachel sniffled.

"As you wish," Quinn whispered. Rachel reached up and gave Quinn a kiss. The blonde blushed and looked out the door window before sneaking out and down to the cafeteria. She lied and told Santana and Brittany she had been in the nurse's office.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn's life changed drastically after she was forced to cut Rachel loose. She, Brittany, and Santana became a powerhouse all through school up until sophomore year. Quinn knew she was being brainwashed by the other two and by her church and she let it happen. It numbed the pain when she stopped thinking for herself and let someone else do it for her. Quinn stopped purposely looking longingly at Rachel because Santana had caught her once but when her eyes did accidentally drop on the brunette she still felt the same knot in her stomach.

Quinn's life came crashing down around her a few more times before she left for college. She got pregnant. Her parents kicked her out. She went to live with Finn. Finn kicked her out when it was revealed that Puck was the father of the baby. She went to live with Kurt. She gave her baby up for adoption. Her parents took her back. She got accepted to NYU. She left Lima.

During her remaining time in Lima, Quinn's heart never stopped fluttering when Rachel would accidentally bump into her and Quinn's stomach always knotted when the brunette looked at her. She joined glee club because Rachel joined glee club and she told her parents it would ensure her more scholarships and another extra-curricular activity to add to college applications and they allowed it.

Santana and Brittany saw to it that Quinn was outright horrible to Rachel because Santana constantly threatened her that she'd tell Quinn's parents if the girl was anywhere close to friendly. So Quinn was a bitch and Rachel was sweet to her and Quinn would cry every single time Rachel did something that reminded her of that little girl she fell in love with when she was ten. But she wouldn't have changed it for the world because she saw Rachel every day and even when Rachel was dating Puck or Finn or when she was getting slushied and Quinn was forced to laugh, Quinn knew Rachel was there and that she was okay, something Quinn could never have if she had to go back to Colorado.