Disclaimer: I own nothing! It all belongs to Fox and he who must not be named.

Summery: *Spoilers* They lost Regionals and Quinn decided to give her baby up for adoption. Everything seems to have gone wrong and Quinn is left wondering if it will ever be right again. The continuation of Quinn and Glee, and maybe the beginning of something that Quinn never saw coming. Eventual Faberry. May change rating to M in future.

CH 7:

"What the hell? Is this like, the only restaurant in town or something?" Quinn grumbles under her breath. The blonde frantically wonders how she is going to handle this one, because honestly, you do not want to tick off this hot-tempered diva. Especially when you happen to live under the same roof.

"What was that?" Crossing her arms Mercedes juts her hip out, pinning the blonde with a glare.

"Nothing," Quinn smiles innocently. "I finished my errand a little early and decided to get something to eat, and just happened to run into Rachel, San and Brit after I arrived." Quinn turns and looks at the other girls. "Right guys?"

"Absolutely," Rachel chirps.

Brittany nods along, pointing at Quinn. "What she said."

Santana stays silent, smirking amusedly at the situation. Quinn not so subtly nudges her, eyes shooting daggers. The Latina just huffs, rolling her eyes. "Sure, whatever."

"That was convincing," Kurt drawls sardonically.

"So you're saying you really didn't ditch me," a polite throat clearing interrupts her," or Kurt, for some white girl bonding time?" The dark-skinned fashionista purses her lips at the foursome.

"No Mercedes. I honestly had plans before you asked me to join you both this afternoon." She holds the diva's gaze, the blonde's face conveying her sincerity.

Mercedes finally cracks a smile, satisfied for the moment. "Alright girl, I believe you." She moves aside as Kurt and Brittany position an extra table alongside theirs, then settle themselves down.

"What brings you both over here anyway, I thought you went shopping today?" Quinn turns sideways in her seat, leaning back against the wall to get a better view of the – now very full – table.

"We were," Kurt responds, daintily brushing off the area in front of him. "There is this new boutique across the street a few doors down that I've just been dying to go to." He looks around, eyes bright. "They have this ah-mazing collection of oriental silks and scarves. Absolutely gorgeous. Anyway, on our way over we spied you four through the window of the diner, and as they say the rest is history." He pauses for moment, noticing what Santana and Brittany were eating. "You are willfully ingesting carbs?" He places his hand over his mouth, aghast. "What about Ms. Sylvester's summer dietary supplement plan? She threatened us with continuous eight-hour suicides if our weight fluctuates before cheer camp."

"It's summer, which means vacation from all things school related." Santana says, shrugging it off. "Besides, she can't ambush us in the halls for our bi-weekly weigh-ins anymore. Take advantage while you can."

"Yeah, as long as you throw it back up or run an extra mile in the morning, she won't know the difference." Brittany remarks, nodding her head sagely.

"I'm so glad I escaped that insanity," Mercedes murmurs gratefully, rolling her eyes along with an equally relieved Quinn.

"Tell me about it," the blonde sighs as Kurt manages to snag the waitress as she tries to slip by. The beleaguered girl didn't have chance as Mercedes and an animated Kurt place their orders.

"While I understand the importance of a healthy diet, I simply cannot fathom the lengths the Cheerios will subject themselves to under Sue Sylvester's tyrannical leadership." Rachel shakes her head, a pitying look on her face.

"Well no one expects you to, Stubbles." The Latina quips, then hisses in pain after receiving a strong kick from a glaring Quinn Fabray. "Berry. I meant Berry," she grinds out. Lowering her voice, she snarls at the blonde. "Happy?" Quinn nods curtly, with a rather smug smile on her face as Rachel smiles gratefully at her. Giggling, Rachel then grins cheekily at Santana, who is softly growling and shooting irritated glances at the unfortunate curious onlookers from surrounding tables.

Kurt and Mercedes stare in astonished fascination at what just happened. Looking at each other, they share the same thought, although it's Mercedes who actually voices it. "Okay, what in the hell was that? Is there something we should know about, or are ya'll trippin?"

As Quinn and Rachel silently debate with each other on who should say what, Brittany cuts in. "Oh, Rachel and Quinn are friends now. So Quinn was just reminding S that she has to play nice. Right Q?"

Bemused, Quinn chuckles at a smiling Brittany and then at the scowling Santana. Glancing over at the increasingly shocked fashion-duo, she nods in response. "Yep, pretty much. Got a problem with that?"

They both shake their heads – somewhat dazed – with the beginnings of a gossip buzz humming in their bones. They knew the Who and What, now they just had to figure out the When, Why, and How. The possibilities of this newfound information were endless. Suspicion be damned, their heads were already together, whispering about the running poll for that summer: Quinn vs. Rachel, who maims who first. This had smack-down written all over it, and they were gonna be rich. The girls in question were beginning to fear the calculating gleams in Kurt's and Mercedes' eyes.

Oh boy, Quinn mentally groans. I'm so locking my door tonight. Rachel just shrinks further away from the gossip queens, matching the blonde's position against the wall.

Already tired of the subject, Santana interrupts the still plotting meddlers. "Where's Goth girl and Wheels? You all are usually joined at the hip," she questions. Everyone stares at her in surprise. "What? I have eyes, excuse me for being observant." The Latina huffs moodily, crossing her arms.

"Tina and Artie," Mercedes says pointedly, arching her brow, "are on a date. We're planning on meeting up with them tonight, though. How 'bout you guys, wanna join us?" She fixes Quinn and Rachel with an intent gleam in her eyes, matched only by Kurt's knowing smirk.

"Ooh, let's go San." Brittany says excitedly, bouncing in her seat. "Tina texted me earlier saying she figured out a new dance move."

Never one to resist an excited Brit, Santana grudgingly agrees. "Sure B, if you want to."

"I don't know…" Quinn begins to refuse, but is promptly shut down by a mischievously grinning Mercedes.

"Don't even try it blondie. I distinctly remember you moaning that you had nothing to do and how pathetic that was for a Saturday night. You are coming with us." The finality in the dark-skinned diva's tone causes Quinn to slump her shoulders, a protest dying on her lips.

Defeated, the former Cheerio mumbles, "Fine."

"Rachel?" Kurt gazes questioningly at the brunette, causing her to slightly flinch.

Nervous, Rachel avoids looking at the insistent duo and tries to come up with a plausible excuse to evade the impending ambush. "I…I don't think that I will have the time to join in your activities because of, um, practice! Yes, I was unable to practice the songs that I am preparing for Glee club this fall and I really need to get on that." Rachel nods her head, growing confident in her explanation.

"Girl, you have all summer for that. Loosen up." Rachel is readying herself to refuse Mercedes again, when she catches Quinn's gaze. The blonde is silently pleading with the short diva to have mercy, her eyes practically begging Rachel not to leave her alone to fend off the gossip piranhas. Realizing she doesn't want their budding friendship to die a short death, Rachel bravely accepts the first of which she is sure to be many tests that their newfound relationship will have to endure.

"Very well, if you all insist, I will go." Immensely relieved, Quinn smiles gratefully at her, causing warmth to grow in Rachel's chest and spread across her cheeks. While the short brunette questions the sudden fluttering in her heart, Santana mockingly raises her hand.

"Uh, question. Where exactly are we going anyway?"

"Good point," Kurt taps his chin as if in deep thought. "Any suggestions ladies?"

A thought suddenly occurs to Rachel, a surprised "Oh" escaping her lips. Everyone's attention zeroes in on her, curious at her small gasp. Hesitantly, she meets their gaze. "Actually, I have an idea. Not but thirty minutes ago Finn texted me saying that he and the rest of the guys were playing football at Glenview Park, and that afterwards they were going bowling. He also said something along the lines of inviting everyone along, but I didn't find out the rest."

Raising her eyebrows, Mercedes pins Rachel with a look. "And you forgot to mention this because…?"

Sheepish, the brunette shrugs. "Something temporarily distracted me. Please don't make me elaborate." Blushing, her eyes dart between the two blondes at the table as Santana snickers. Quinn shoots the Latina an evil look while both Kurt and Mercedes glance at everyone, confused.

"Okaaay." Kurt decides that there may be some things he just might not want to know, because those four were just screaming 'kinky' and that was something he did not want to picture with those girls. Or any girl, period. He briskly tries to steer away from that path. "Moving on. It's not a bad idea – especially since I thankfully have my own pair of shoes – but will Artie be able to join us?"

"Sure, I've heard him mention going there a few times, he'll be fine." Mercedes turns her attention back to Rachel. "Okay, you call Finn back and ask him what time they'll be there and that the rest of us are in. After that, I'll text Tina the details. Everyone cool with that?"

As they all nod their ascent, Brittany speaks up. "You know Rachel, if it makes you feel better, the bowling alley is opening up a karaoke stage this summer. I saw the sign announcing it as I was taking Lord Tubbington to his AA meeting yesterday. Maybe you could practice there?"

Needless to say, Rachel's eyes lit up in excitement at the prospect of getting everyone to join her in practicing that evening. It also goes without saying that everyone else at the table promptly groans in despair, while Brittany just smiles obliviously at the now peeved occupants of the table, bar one tiny brunette.

As Rachel furiously types away in her phone, Quinn murmurs sympathetically at everyone. "Well, look at it this way; she was bound to find out eventually."

"Great, a whole evening spent with the Peanut Gallery. This sucks." Santana mumbles obscenities under her breathe as Brittany tries to soothe her irritable half while everyone else shoots the Latina disgruntled looks.

"Chill it Mexican Barbie, you agreed to go so deal. Besides, Quinn's right, it was probably unavoidable. Who knows, we might actually enjoy it." Irritated at the Barbie comment, Santana tries to interject but the fashion-diva continues on, unperturbed. "And before you open your snarky mouth, you just might as well admit you like singing with the rest of us anyway."

"Uh-huh, testify girlfriend." Kurt snaps his fingers, swerving his neck from one shoulder to the next. Everyone chuckles at his display while even Santana manages to crack a small smile.

Rachel closes her phone and looks up. "Finn said they'll be there at five. What's so funny?"

To be continued…

A/N: This chapter was a bit difficult for me, and it was mostly just filler. I've never written so much dialogue for this many characters in one chapter. (And there's even more next chap, eep!) I'm not sure if I kept everyone true to character, Mercedes and Kurt were a bit iffy for me. What do you all think? I just haven't been in the mood to write much this past week and I'm not completely satisfied with how this turned out. Meh, maybe I'm just being picky. (I'm a perfectionist, just so you know.) Anyway, thoughts are much appreciated so please review!