Author's Note: I know I've been away from this story for a long time now. I lost my motivation to write it, though the characters have never been far from my mind, and I still have quite a few ideas on what's going to happen with them.

I don't know if any of you will be interested in reading, if the updates are going to be somewhat sporadic. And I completely understand those who don't. But, I am going to keep writing, for those of you who are still with me.

You guys have been an amazing audience from the start, full of support and encouragement, kind words, humor, and comradery. I've made a few very good friends via this site, and this story, and that means a lot to me. I appreciate the time you take, reading and commenting.

You guys are the best. Seriously. 3

Chapter 46

They didn't get to spend much time together over the course of a week. With Quinn rising early and Rachel getting home late they were relegated to brief morning and evening exchanges.

They fell into a routine rather quickly and easily. In the mornings, Quinn would wake with her alarm and attempt to silence it before it could disturb Rachel, who inevitably would stir awake anyway. Quinn would try and convince Rachel to go back to sleep as she herself slid from the bed and quietly gathered up her clothes for the day. And Rachel would ignore her as soon as she'd stepped into the bathroom for her shower. By the time Quinn had finished getting ready, Rachel was in the kitchen, leaning sleepily against the counter as she sipped tea and prepared a light breakfast for Quinn. Usually cereal and fresh fruit or a muffin with jam. They'd chat a little while Quinn ate and when she was finished she'd load her plate into the dishwasher, thank Rachel for breakfast, kiss her tenderly, and head out the door, instructing Rachel to go back to bed before she left.

In the evenings, Quinn would head to the theatre as the show was letting out. Sometimes, she'd go inside and wait in Rachel's dressing room, lying on the couch as she listened to Rachel enthuse about the performance, the audience, her cast mates. Or on the occasional off day, rant about the performance, the audience, her cast mates. Other days she'd stand at the mouth of the alley leading to the stage door and watch Rachel interact with her fans. She enjoyed seeing Rachel in that element, signing autographs, posing for photos and chatting with people who were just as excited about seeing the play as she was about performing in it.

They'd walk back to Rachel's apartment together, comparing notes about their day. Once at Rachel's, they get ready for bed and then curl up together, watching a move or reading or talking quietly until Quinn, inevitably, fell asleep.

The weekends afforded a bit more time, they had the majority of Saturday and a few extra hours on Sunday, giving them the chance to go out, or simply hang around the apartment together, but their routines were still truncated, what with Rachel's performance schedule, which included not the show itself but the occasional meet and greet, makeup and wardrobe, and the post show rituals. Despite the time constraints they often found themselves under, Quinn felt like their relationship was moving along solidly.

Before she knew it, they were approaching their one month anniversary. They hadn't talked about doing anything to celebrate it. And Quinn suspected she knew why. From some of the things Rachel had said about past relationships, she had a feeling that previous partners had discouraged her from enthusiastically celebrating the minor milestones. While Quinn appreciated that she wouldn't be gifted with a creepy cat calendar or some other crazy, over the top display of affection, a la sophomore year Rachel, she was disheartened that others had managed to tamp down on the other woman's romantic nature. She wasn't going to let it dampen her spirits though. She was determined to make the day special for her.

She slipped quietly from the bed, doing her best not to disturb Rachel, who inevitably stirred as soon as Quinn as extracted herself from her arms.

"Quinn?" Rachel pried one eye open, and gazed sleepily at her from beneath the messy mountain of covers she was half burrowed under. "Where are you going?"

"Don't worry, Rach," she said, leaning down to press a kiss against Rachel's forehead. "I'll be back in a sec." Maybe if she thought Quinn was just going to get a drink of water or something, she'd fall back asleep so Quinn could present her with the surprise of breakfast in bed. The first of several special things she had planned for that day.

Rachel, however, apparently had other ideas. She tipped her head, capturing Quinn's lips into a deep, heated kiss. She snaked a hand up behind Quinn's head, pulling her down, deepening the kiss as her tongue flicked into Quinn's mouth.

Moaning softly, Quinn surged forward, sucking lightly on Rachel's tongue.

"Mmm. Good morning to you," Rachel practically purred when they parted for air.

Quinn huffed a laugh against her lips. 'It's early. And you've got a full day. You shouldn't be awake."

"Well, I'm definitely up now."

"I'll bet." Quinn matched Rachel's smirk with one of her own.

"Why are you up so early? It's a Sunday."

Quinn shrugged, and Rachel raised an eyebrow, waiting. So much for surprising her.

"Happy one month anniversary," she said, leaning down for another short peck. "Now, are you going to let me bring you breakfast in bed? Or are you going ruin all of the hard work and preparation I put into planning this for you?" She put special emphasis on the latter half of her second sentence, but Rachel only rolled her eyes.

"That depends, are you going to be cooking in that?"

Quinn glanced down at the pj shorts and tank top she had thrown on before bed last night. "Yeah? Why?"

"In that case, I'm definitely going to get up and watch," she said, making a show of raking her gaze up and down Quinn's body.

Shaking her head at Rachel's blatant ogling, Quinn laughed and held out her hand to Rachel. "Well, come on then." She gently tugged Rachel out of bed, and led her out into the kitchen, where she pulled out one of the seats by the island and gestured her into it.

"Coffee?" she asked, already moving towards the coffee maker. It didn't take her long to fix Rachel a cup to her liking, and slide it across the counter to her. Rachel murmured a quiet thanks and brought the mug to her lips, cradling it carefully in both hands as she blew gently on it, before taking a sip.

While she sipped her coffee, Quinn began her breakfast preparations. She moved easily around the kitchen, now as familiar with it as she was with her own. More so, even. Because she spent more time cooking for the two of them than she ever had for just herself.

It didn't take her long before she had almost every burner going, imitation eggs scrambling on one, fake-bacon on another and pancakes slowly browning on the third. With that all under control she moved over to the fridge and began pulling out everything they would need to garnish their meals once they were complete. She could feel Rachel's eyes on her as she cut up strawberries and peaches and sifted icing sugar into a small container.

And, to be honest, it was hard not to be distracted by Rachel sitting there, leaning sleepily against the counter, elbows braced against its surface. Her hair was a mess of curls, and her shirt, well Quinn's shirt really, was too wide around the collar and had slipped sideways, revealing her shoulder and collarbone.. If Quinn followed the line of her shirt, she was pretty sure she would have a clear view down it, but kept her eyes averted. She didn't need to be more distracted when she already was. Especially now while working with a knife.

She looked, in Quinn's opinion, breathtakingly beautiful. And she considered herself lucky that Rachel had chosen her.

She glanced up, catching Rachel's eyes, noticing the way they glimmered and shone in the dusky grey the still rising sun cast the room in.

"What?"

"I love you." Rachel said the words plainly, but her tone in no way lessened the impact that Quinn felt at them. Her hand faltered, and immediately, she dropped the knife before she could do any damage to herself.

"I love you too." She felt her lips tugging up in a grin, as her heart swelled and her stomach fluttered, an exuberance that she could not contain coursing through her. She leaned across the counter and, tangling her hands in Rachel's hair, brought their lips crashing together in a kiss.

The granite edge dug painfully into her stomach, and prevented her from being as close as she wanted to be to Rachel in this moment so, without breaking the kiss, she circled around the end, and somehow found herself standing between Rachel's legs as the other girl gripped her hips, clinging tightly as she kissed her deeply.

She had felt her feelings growing steadily since they'd gotten together. And, a month might seem too soon, but Quinn knew that it wasn't. She had never felt for anyone the way she felt for Rachel. She had been in love before, but this was different. Deeper. Stronger. Somehow, more. It was something undefinable, but clear and present.

Both of their breathing was labored as they pulled apart. Still unable to wipe the grin from her lips, Quinn rested her forehead against Rachel's and closed her eyes.

"I have something for you," she said after a long moment had passed. She pulled away in time to see Rachel's head shoot up, her eyes shimmering.

"A present? For me?" She couldn't contain her excitement at the prospect. She was like a kid on Christmas morning, and it was adorable.

Quinn nodded. "Yes. A present." She brushed a kiss against Rachel's lips before releasing her grip and moving back around the island, where she pulled open the top drawer and rooted around inside for the small box she had concealed in there last night.

"For you. Because I love you." She felt her grin widen around the words, and her heart fluttered as Rachel's did as well. "Happy anniversary." She handed her the long, flat jewelry box and then bit her lip, waiting.

Rachel tore into the wrapping paper with precision, starting at the corners, peeling away the tape so as to create minimal damage to the shiny blue paper the box was wrapped in. Quinn admired her restraint, even as she shifted, on pins and needles, waiting to see what Rachel thought of her gift. Finally, she set the paper onto the counter in front of her and pulled open the box.

"Oh, Quinn, it's beautiful," she breathed, and Quinn could finally breathe easy. She lifted the thin silver chain from its resting place and held it up, the star pendant, with the diamond insert, and the engraved treble clef catching in the dim light.

She had designed the pendant herself, then had a friend of hers, from Boston, make it for her. She wanted to give Rachel something that nobody else had. Something unique, that truly represented her.

"Help me put it on?"

Quinn smiled at the request, knowing it was just a way for Rachel to have her finger brushing against her neck, which was one of her more sensitive spots. Of course, she wasn't one to deny Rachel anything, so she nodded and gently took the necklace from her grasp. She circled around behind Rachel, who swept her hair to one side, and then lifted it up. Quinn looped her arms around Rachel, and pulled the necklace up, waiting as she felt her adjust it against the hollow of her throat before closing the clasp, her fingers lightly brushing against the smooth skin of Rachel's neck. Once Rachel's hand dropped away, she secured the necklace, then leaned forward and pressing a small kiss to the back of her neck. She grinned into Rachel's skin as she felt her shiver, pressed another kiss there, and then moved away.

"Let me see." She circled back around Rachel. "You look beautiful," she said, taking in the way the necklace nestled against her skin, but meaning much more than that.

"Thank you. Quinn." She fingered the pendant for a moment, sliding it back and forth on its chain, before sliding to her feet. "I have something for you as well."

"You do?"

"What, did you really think I'd let our one month anniversary pass without getting you something to commemorate it?"

Quinn hesitated, knowing that no matter what she answered, it was going to sound bad. Rachel narrowed her eyes at her playfully for a moment, before shaking her head and cross the kitchen, where she reached up to grab something from a rarely used cupboard. She pulled out a small, flat box and made her way back to Quinn. She held out her hand, then quickly pulled it back, pulling the present out of reach.

"It's not nearly as extravagant as what you got me."

"Rachel, I have no interest in trying to outdo each other. I just wanted to get you something nice. I'm sure I'll love whatever it is." She held her hand out, eager to see what her gift was. "Rach. Come on." She pouted, when Rachel continued to hesitate.

After a moment, Rachel sighed, and handed the gift over. "It's…uh…" She trailed off as Quinn quickly divested the box of its wrapping, making no effort to preserve the paper the way Rachel had.

She balled the discarded wrapping in one hand, and opened the box, to reveal a shiny gold key.

"Rach, is this….?" She fingered the cool metal reverently, then glanced up at Rachel.

"A key to my apartment. Yeah." She shifted from one foot to the other, and glanced down at the floor.

Once again, Quinn found herself overcome with emotion.

"I know it's not much. Not like the necklace you gave me. But I just thought….I want you to feel like-"

Quinn cut her off with a kiss. "You don't have to justify your gift to me," she said, and she didn't understand why Rachel felt the need to. "It's sweet. And thoughtful. And I love it."

"It's not too soon?"

Quinn shook her head. "Not at al. Of course, you could have given me a key to your place after our first night together, and I wouldn't have thought it too soon," she admitted with a wry grin. "So, maybe I'm not the best person to ask about the timing of things."

Rachel nodded, still not looking convinced.

"I swear, Rach. I can't wait to use it. In fact." She plucked the key from the box, and stepped around Rachel, heading for the door.

"Wait. Quinn. What are you doing?" Rachel hurried after her, trying to grab her arm and halt her progress, but Quinn shook her off each time. "Quinn, you're being ridiculous," she said, as Quinn undid the locks on the door. "You're still in your pajamas. What about the neighbors?"

Her protests fell on deaf ears, as Quinn slipped out the door, letting it fall shut behind her. She waited a moment, then inserted her brand new key into the lock, taking a sort of satisfaction with the way it slid into the lock with a snick. She turned it slowly, feeling the vibration as the tumblers gave way, and then release with a faint click. Smiling to herself, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"Honey, I'm home," she called out, dropping the key into the small bowl on the table just inside the doorway, and mimed taking off a hat, and hanging an imaginary coat on the hook.

Rachel stood in the kitchen with a bemused smile on her face, which dissolved into laughter as Quinn closed the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist, pulling her close.

"I really do like my present," Quinn said, draping her arms across Rachel's shoulders. "I love spending time here in your apartment. It feels like home." It wasn't an admission she'd normally make so easily, but this was Rachel. She had already broken all the rules with her. In fact, with Rachel, the rules didn't exist. They were forging their own path as they went along.

Rachel's eyes went wide. "Home?"

"Too soon?" Quinn asked, quirking an eyebrow. She wasn't too concerned whether it was, or not. She felt comfortable here, and it was more than just Rachel being a good host. She enjoyed occupying the same space as Rachel, even just doing mundane, everyday things, like cooking, or reading, or watching a movie. And even when Rachel wasn't here, was off performing or spending time with her cast after a show, Quinn was content by herself, waiting for Rachel to come home to her. Because that was how Quinn had come to think of it. Home. Even if she didn't officially live her, she felt like that was an inevitability.

Rachel shook her head, a small smile forming on her lips. "No. Not at all. I like the sound of that. It's just…I was afraid if I said anything, you'd think we were moving too fast. It wouldn't be the first time I jumped the gun and…." She shrugged.

"You want things too much," Quinn said, remembering something that Rachel had said more than once, in high school, as a means of explaining her sometimes super-intense personality. Quinn hadn't really understood it at the time. Back then, she had made of point of not wanting anything. Or at least, denying that she did. Now though, it made sense.

Because Rachel wasn't the only one who had been burned in the past for feeling, for wanting, something so intensely. Except, unlike Rachel, who rushes headlong into things, and hoping that others are following her pace, Quinn hold back, waiting for others to catch up to her, to tell her that it's okay to want the things she does. Whereas Rachel's enthusiasm is off putting, Quinn's reticence is discouraging. It had been the basis of most of the breakups she'd had.

She had been trying, with Rachel, to not fall into familiar pattern. And, honestly, it was easier than it ever had been to be open about what she wanted, and where she thought things were going. This situation was no exception.

"You really mean that?" Rachel sounded both hopeful, and wary. And Quinn hated the fact that someone, several someone's most likely, had left her feeling so insecure.

"I really mean it," she reassured her, and Rachel's smile grew until she was beaming up at Quinn, before rising onto her toes and pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her lips.

Quinn was about to deepen the kiss, and get lost in the feeling of Rachel's lips on hers, and the way her small, lithe body pressed firmly against her own, but remembered that she had food cooking on most of the burners. Reluctantly, she pulled away, pressing a series of quick, chaste pecks to Rachel's lips before lightly spinning her around and guiding her back to her seat.

"Sit. You have an anniversary breakfast to eat," she said, before slipping around the counter to check on the food, luckily catching it before anything could burn too badly. One pancake had gone a little too dark, and a couple of pieces of the fake bacon were crisp and crumbling, but the rest of the meal was otherwise fine.

Quickly she plated their meals, garnishing them with what she had of the fruit that she had not quite finished slicing, and spun around, presenting them to Rachel, who was back to leaning against the counter, staring at her with an unreadable expression on her face.

"What?"

"I love you," Rachel said, breaking out into a grin that Quinn couldn't help returning. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of hearing those words.

"I love you," Quinn replied, leaning across the counter to give her a gentle kiss. "Now, eat your breakfast before it gets cold."