A/N: Hi guys! It's been a while since I've posted something, so here's...well something. This is a result of listening to Sara Bareilles "Bright Lights and Cityscapes" and having lots of feels. Anyways, enjoy. I do apologize for any mistakes that are in there. Kinda wrote this in a flurry ^^;

Disclaimer:I don't own Glee or anything. Maybe things would've been better if I did. Oh well. I don't own Sara Bareilles either. She's her own lady.

Rachel made her way to the auditorium. It was her free period and she was going to make the most of it. Things were going well for her. She had the man of her dreams, the slushie war has stopped, and the New Directions were well on their way to Regionals and afterwards, Nationals. However, this didn't mean that she was going to give up the chance to practice her singing. In fact, it drove her to work harder.

The brunette made her way through the backstage door, ready to jump right into her scales when she heard voices and the gentle tones of the piano. As silently as she could, Rachel closed the door and headed towards the stage. There weren't many people who would use the auditorium at this time, so she was curious to see who was around. Carefully, Rachel peeked past the curtain and saw the Unholy Trinity all around the piano. Quinn was sitting on the bench, her back to Rachel and her fingers running along the cool ivory while Santana and Brittany were leaning on the piano itself. Rachel was about to walk away and head into the choir room when their conversation reached her ears.

"Listen, Q. How much longer are you gonna sit around, moping? If you're gonna go after her, then go for it."

This piqued Rachel's interest and started to eavesdrop. It was one of her more obvious flaws, but she couldn't help it sometimes

"She's not going to see past Finn's hulking frame, that's why," Rachel heard Quinn say. "Besides, I tormented her for so long. Why would she care about me?"

'Are they talking about me?' Rachel thought. 'They have to be. But…does that mean that Quinn…'

The diva peeked past the curtain again in time to see Santana throw her hands up in exasperation.

"Ay Dios mio! What the fuck are we gonna do with you, Fabray? There are times where I think you're the strongest person in the world, and then there are days, like this, where you're just too chicken shit to do anything. Make up your damn mind!"

"San…" Brittany cooed. "You know she's just scared like you were. Except she doesn't know Rachel loves her too."

Said girl furrowed her brows in confusion. As far as she knew, she didn't have those feelings towards Quinn. Needless to say, she had great admiration for the girl, dealing with everything she had been through and still maintaining some shred of sanity in the end. Quinn even got into Yale, which would've been impressive in it itself. There was no way that Rachel couldn't admire her after that. Even back in sophomore year, Rachel always found the blonde fascinating. Now, the brunette was questioning even herself about the extent of the admiration.

"That's because she doesn't, Britt." Quinn's voice brought Rachel's attention right back to the trio. "It's obvious from the years of fighting over Finn."

"You two fought over Finn because you both liked the idea of him." Brittany simply stated. Rachel could see Quinn's head tilt to the side and could imagine the confused look on her face. Santana thought about it for a moment and snapped her fingers.

"I get it! You wanted Finn back then because he was the quarterback and with him, you two were the power couple. The hobbit wants him because he's the leading man she always wanted." The Latina smirked and made her way to her girlfriend, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Britt-britt, you're so smart."

"That doesn't change the fact that Rachel has what she wants. She has Finn now." Quinn said, interrupting the mini love fest happening before her. "There's no reason for her to even want me."

"Q, I'm gonna tell it to you straight now." Santana leaned towards Quinn, her pointer finger right in the other's face. "That girl has a thing for you. I don't know what it is because I'd rather not pay attention to the dwarf when I don't have to, but there is. There's always some sort of…tension between you two anyway. I half expect you two to start making out before I remember how repressed you are."

A blush crept up onto Rachel's face when she heard this. She had never noticed the tension when they were speaking.

"Besides," Brittany added. "She's always looking at you when she's not looking at Finn. Kind of like she's trying to solve a puzzle but can't because she's missing a piece." Santana looked at Brittany so lovingly, but Rachel could only look on in confusion. She could see Quinn look down at the piano keys as she plays a few notes half-heartedly. The sounds seemed to break Santana from her adoration as she turned to look at her best friend.

"Listen. We're not gonna be here much longer. Only a few months left 'til we graduate and leave this god forsaken town. Who knows if you'll ever see Rachel again? New Haven's not that far from New York but school's gonna keep you occupied. Friends can drift apart if you don't have bonds like we do." Santana smiled sympathetically. "At least if you're together, you'll work harder at seeing each other. So, consider it."

The Latina pulled her girlfriend away and hopped off the stage before turning back to look at her friend.

"And don't say I didn't care about you. Seriously, don't. I don't need people thinking I've gotten soft."

Quinn laughed and nodded before letting her best friends go. She sat there for a moment, gently pressing the keys and letting the sounds of the piano fill the auditorium. Rachel sat there looking at the blonde, mesmerized and deep in thought. Even after Quinn left, the diva continued to sit there, thinking about her relationship with Quinn. She didn't leave the auditorium until she heard the bell ring, but even still, she continued to think.

-x-o-x-o-x-

Throughout the day, Rachel covertly inquired about her behavior concerning Quinn to each of the other Glee members. Each of them, after counter inquiries about why she was asking them such things, pretty much said the same that Santana had.

Rachel had always looked at Quinn differently than all of them.

Kurt did mention something about the blonde appearing on his 'gaydar' recently that had him intrigued, which Blaine confirmed. Puck had this knowing smile that unnerved Rachel so she kept it in the back of her mind. Before she knew it, it was time for Glee.

Rachel had been so out of it that even Finn noticed and was questioning her, only to be ignored. However, when Quinn entered the room, the brunette's eyes darted towards her. Everyone that was subjected to Rachel's interrogation looked back and forth at the two. The blonde looked at everyone, confused, before making her way to her seat next to Santana and Mercedes. Her eyes lingered onto Rachel as she walked past, hazel holding onto chocolate until they could no longer.

Eventually, Mr. Schuester made his way into the room, ready to begin his lecture. Their assignment had been about acceptance and love since Valentine's Day had just past. When Mr. Schuester asked if anyone wanted to come up and perform, everyone was surprised that Rachel's hand didn't shoot up right away. Actually, it didn't shoot up at all. Rachel was still in thought and hadn't been listening at all. It wasn't until she heard Mr. Schue give Quinn the okay to perform did she snap out of it, her full attention now on the blonde sitting at the piano.

The former Cheerio didn't say anything at all. Rachel shot a quick glance to Santana and Brittany, both wearing secret smiles as they watched their friend prepare. Quinn took a deep breath before laying her fingers against the piano keys. She stared hard at them, as if willing them to move. Another deep breath and her fingers began to move.

The music began to fill the choir room and the girls, sans Rachel, began to sway along. Tina leaned into Mike while Kurt did the same with Blaine. Brittany and Santana linked their pinkies and shared a quick kiss. Finn had thought about wrapping his arm around Rachel's, but she was leaning forward, towards Quinn, with an intense look on her face as she concentrated on the girl. When Quinn opened her mouth to sing, Rachel ended up on the edge of her seat.

Hold my breath and I'll count to ten

I'm the paper and you're the pen

You fill me in, you are permanent

And you'll leave me here to dry

As Quinn continued to sing, the emotion in the song almost became tangible. Her eyes closed, allowing the music to surround her senses. She lost herself into the music, forgetting that she was singing in the choir room, that she had an audience.

Rachel was enthralled. She had never seen Quinn sing with such conviction. Before she knew it, tears were falling from her face, though she didn't even register the fact. To her, only Quinn existed at the moment. This was the type of performance she always strived to create for other people. Witnessing it up close was surreal, especially with the added fact that she was sure that Quinn was singing to her.

She is bright lights and cityscapes

No more doubt. Rachel was definitely sure that Quinn was singing to her. A small smile graced her features as her body relaxed and she released a breath that she didn't know she was holding. Suddenly, her eyes locked onto the performer.

You never have to ask

I'm gonna love you 'til you start looking back

I'm gonna love you so right

I wouldn't need a second chance

Rachel was in awe at the courage it must've taken Quinn to even consider singing this song. She sat there, eyes wide as she listened to the lyrics and music. The blonde had turned away from her in an attempt to keep her cool. But the emotions were still there. While Rachel had tears streaming down her face, Quinn held her tears at bay, even if they threatened to fall at any moment. She was going to make it through this performance with her head held high, no matter Rachel's reaction.

As she entered the second chorus, her voice blended with the other girls as they harmonized with her. A soft smile spread on her face as she continued to sing. She knew that Santana and Brittany had planned to join in, but it surprised her to hear how the other girls had eagerly joined in. However, there was one voice missing. She chanced a glance and saw that Rachel was just staring at her, face wet with tears. Her eyes were so full of emotion that Quinn had to look away, quickly overwhelmed. Shutting her eyes, Quinn closed out the song, repeating the last line four times as if she was saying a promise.

I wouldn't need a second chance

Silence filled the room as the last note rang out. Quinn expelled a breath, breaking whatever spell was on the group as applause erupted. The blonde ducked her head in embarrassment and shook her head at her friends. She wiped a tear from her eyes and stood up to sit back down on the risers. However, she halted when Rachel suddenly shot up. Their eyes met briefly before Rachel launched herself towards Quinn, enveloping her into a hug. The blonde stood there, surprised, before she could even register what happened. Once the shock died, her arms slid around the brunette's waist and pulled her close. The other New Direction members murmured about Rachel not asking for the hug, prompting the diva to pull away, slightly flustered.

"That was a beautiful song, Quinn," she managed to say, her cheeks reddening slightly. Quinn noticed that she was fidgeting with the hem of her skirt and smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, Rach. You inspire me, after all."

Quinn brushed past Rachel, leaving the girl slightly befuddled. Mr. Schuester stood up and praised Quinn for an excellent performance, saying that the rest of the club should find songs that they could get lost into as they performed. Rachel turned to look at Quinn one last time before sitting down. Suddenly she knew that the ball was in her court. The blonde had subtly played her cards and laid her heart on the line. Now it was her turn to make a move and she knew what the first one had to be.

Break up with Finn.

A/N: I hope you liked it! I'm still working on AoM at the moment. Tryin' to push past a block, but I'll try to get that up as soon as I can.

Read, Review, Criticize constructively. It's all appreciated. :3