On My Way, a glee fanfic

A/N: Here is the sequel. I actually wrote most of this before I ever posted Say Something because I couldn't let my heart bleed for Quinn with the way it ended. But then months of writer's block it and I just finished it.

However, this story isn't the happiest of tales either. Please bear with me as sometimes in the story things are not as they appear to be, if you're brave enough to finish it, I'm sure you'll love the ending.

Enjoy.

The song featured is On My Way by Boyce Avenue.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, the characters, the song, or anything else mentioned.

On My Way

"I wasn't there the moment, you first learned to breathe. But I'm on my way, on my way
I wasn't there the moment, you got off your knees.
But I'm on my way, on my way."

Rachel felt as though someone had literally punched a hole in her heart. She never thought she'd miss anyone this much. It had been three days since her almost wedding, since Quinn's accident. It's amazing how one event could open a person's eyes. How one event could change the course of someone's life.

The preacher was going on and on but Rachel couldn't hear him… not really. It sounded kind of like a dull chant behind the buzzing in her head: the sounds of Mercedes, Santana, and Brittany sobbing, and the vision of Judy Fabray across from her as she laid her youngest child to rest.

Everyone had told Rachel that this wasn't her fault. Everyone said that Quinn knew better than to text and drive; but the fact of the matter remained… Quinn was answering her text, Quinn was on the way to her wedding, and Quinn was in that coffin because Rachel was selfish.

She always had been.

No one said much to Rachel when she called the wedding off indefinitely… not even Finn.

No one said much when she ran out of the courthouse in her wedding dress and drove to the accident scene only to realize she was too late; Quinn was already gone.

Her blood was still wet on the concrete and Rachel collapsed to her knees and cried.

Quinn may have started off their relationship being mean and bitchy toward her but she ended up being a friend. Someone willing to put her doubts aside and support Rachel.

An angel, literally… in every sense of the word.

The Fabrays wanted Rachel to say something.

But what was there to say?

She had no words of wisdom, nothing to offer the Fabrays that could help them in this time of heart wrenching pain.

For the first time in her life… Rachel Berry had no words.

She had no music in her heart.

Her light had burned out.

She just had a black hole of emptiness that her former bully, former friend, former confidant used to fill. A beautiful life was ripped from the world and she may not have been behind the wheel but she certainly was the driving force behind the unbearable pain she put Quinn through in her final moments.

And the unbearable pain Quinn's family and friends were going through at this moment.

She walked toward Quinn's coffin with a gardenia in her hand… everyone else was putting roses on it and no one- not even Finn- would understand why she chose a gardenia.

But Quinn would… it was their secret.

And as she took those steps she could hear the grass and dirt crunch under her feet; she could feel her heart pounding, and she couldn't get rid of the lump in her throat. She also couldn't get rid of the images that were on a constant loop through her mind: Quinn's smiling face as she once again was a Cheerio asking if she was still invited to the wedding. Quinn's face when Rachel first told her about Finn's proposal and the desperation she wore as mask. Quinn's face when she tried to convince Rachel her dreams were more important than Finn back in junior year; and the devastation when she refused to listen.

Time after time Quinn tried to save Rachel from her own bad choices and time after time Rachel ignored her, or lashed out at her. And what did Quinn get for all her effort?

A broken back and a coffin.

Rachel felt tears escape her eyes as she leaned over and placed a gardenia on Quinn's coffin.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered before the last piece that was holding her together snapped and she fell to her knees and tears engulfed her. She cried and she could feel her dads trying and failing to pull her up off the ground; but she wouldn't move. She heard vague buzzing of voices but only one was loud and clear.

"Rachel," it was Judy's voice. She lifted up her tear streaked face and looked at the woman whose daughter had just been ripped away from her; and she shot her a pained grin. "Rachel honey… wake up."

Rachel sat bolt upright as Judy's voice brought her out of the dream.

Her nightmare.

She looked around as she tried to get her bearings.

The walls were a sick yellow color, the smell was sterile, and there was a constant beep… beep…beep providing the soundtrack. When her eyes fully focused it all made sense. She was in a hospital room… Quinn's hospital room.

Quinn wasn't dead… she breathed a sigh of relief before she remembered that Quinn was in a coma and had been for three days.

"Rachel it's okay… you were just having a nightmare again," Judy's voice was soothing and she looked into the woman's tear streaked face. She hated that she put those tears there. "You should go get something to eat… her condition hasn't changed."

"I… I can't leave."

"Okay," Judy said knowingly. She didn't fully understand Rachel and Quinn's relationship but she completely understood Rachel's guilt. Judy took a seat in the chair on the side of Rachel and opened her magazine back up.

All the events of the past three days came flooding back to Rachel as she sat there looking at Quinn in that bed; she was alive… but barely.

The dream- nightmare- hadn't come true and Rachel was thankful for that but she knew it was still all her fault.

She pulled out her phone and opened her last text conversation; it was something she found herself constantly doing it over the past few days. No one even asked her about it anymore.

And she read.

To Quinn: Say something…

From Quinn: I'm giving up on you.

She read it over and over and then her eyes looked up at Quinn's bed again and she rose to her feet. She walked over and very carefully placed her hand on top of Quinn's warm but unmoving hand.

She then looked up at her peaceful face that was still incredibly beautiful even with all the cuts, scrapes, and tubes hooked to it; and she smiled painfully.

"Well I'm not giving up on you," she whispered and then something happened.

She felt Quinn's hand twitch right before the machine flat lined.

"Lay down, and come alive in all you've found, All you're meant to be.
For now, wait until the morning light. Close our eyes to see. Just close your eyes to see."

Rachel was pacing the floor. She was dressed in a white wedding dress and she was in a court house. All of her friends were there… well all but one.

She was waiting for something.

She didn't know what.

"Face it… Quinn's not coming," Santana said and Rachel shot her an evil glare.

"She said she was going to be here okay."

"Rachel… it's now or never," this time it was Finn. Rachel was feeling the pressure.

So much pressure.

And maybe she needed Quinn there for more than what she was ready to admit.

Maybe she really wanted Quinn there because she knew she would stop her from doing this.

Quinn would stop her.

She had to.

Where is she?

Rachel began pacing again.

She could feel Finn's eyes on her. Did she really want this? A teenage marriage… what was she thinking?

Why didn't I listen to Quinn?

I need Quinn.

Where is Quinn?

She pulled out her phone and tapped out a text message to her.

To Quinn: Where are you?

Nothing.

Rachel waited, Finn checked his watch, Rachel waited, and Rachel's dads said something that she couldn't decipher… and she waited.

"Rach," that was Finn… she knew his voice. She could feel his pressure; she tapped out another text.

To Quinn: Say something…

From Quinn: I'm giving up on you.

The she could hear it… her heart pounding in her ear, she could hear it…

The tires screeching on the pavement, the glass shattering, the metal crushing… and Quinn's back breaking; she could hear it all.

She was jolted awake by the sound of a food tray slamming first against a wall and then clattering to the floor.

Her eyes adjusted to the florescent lights.

The walls were a sick yellow color, the smell was sterile, and then she remembered. She knew this place. Her eyes focused and there were more people in Quinn's room this time. Quinn's mother and sister were there, along with a nurse and a doctor.

And Quinn.

And Quinn's hazel eyes.

She was alive… and she was awake.

Rachel was on her feet and walking closer before she realized that the doctor was telling Quinn something… and it was something bad.

Quinn was the one who had thrown the tray.

"Quinn, this is not as bad as it could've been," Rachel heard the seemingly nice doctor say. "You will regain the full use of your legs once all of the swelling heals… I promise that this isn't permanent," he finished and Rachel's smile turned instantly into a frown.

Quinn was paralyzed.

But Quinn was an athlete.

She just got back on the Cheerios.

She loved dancing.

No… no, no, no, no her inner ranting was interrupted by the sound of Quinn's voice and boy had she missed that sound.

"You make it sound like I should be happy about this… I can't feel my FUCKING legs!" She was about to reach for something else to throw but Rachel covered her hand with her own and for the first time since the doctor walked in Quinn felt a calmness spread throughout her body.

Quinn looked at Rachel, their eyes locked, and they both smiled.

For the first time in days Rachel felt the same warmth throughout her own body.

"A tear must have formed in my eye, when you had your first kiss. But I'm on my way, on my way
So leave a space deep inside for everything I'll miss, cause I'm on my way, on my way."

Rachel had one hand on the parallel bar and the other hand on the small of Quinn's back as the girl had just begun to take her first steps after the accident that caused swelling in her spinal cord. They were told the damage wasn't permanent and Quinn had been working her ass off to get on her feet again; with the help of her mom, Santana, and Brittany… but mostly Rachel.

"You can do this Quinn… you're a rock star," Rachel said and she didn't need to see Quinn's face to know she was smiling. When Quinn smiled it was obvious by all of her body language.

Rachel loved when Quinn smiled; especially when she was the reason behind that smile.

Quinn took a step; and it was perfect. Rachel would've jumped for joy if she hadn't been guiding Quinn so instead she used her words.

"That's good… try again." But when Quinn tried to step with her other foot… her toes grazed the floor, she lost her balance, and stumbled forward. She landed on her belly with only her hands breaking her fall.

"Oh gosh!" Rachel exclaimed as she moved around the parallel bars to the other side and tried to help Quinn back up. Instead, Quinn rolled on her side and shot Rachel an angry glare.

"Why are you even here?" She yelled, picked up a nearby water bottle and threw it with some force at Rachel; who was sitting on her knees fighting the tears. "This is all your fault!"

Rachel would never let Quinn know how much it hurt where the bottle hit or even worse how deeply Quinn's words had cut her. Especially since Quinn was one hundred percent right.

It was all her fault.

Rachel got to her feet as Judy rushed over and helped Quinn up.

"Rachel!" Judy called as Rachel walked away. "Rachel!" She tried again.

"Rachel," this time it was Quinn's voice and Rachel noticed the tone was different. She jerked out of her sleep- out of the dream- at the sound of it.

Her eyes fluttered open and she focused on where the sound of Quinn's happy voice was coming from; and then she saw her. Quinn was walking… she was using the parallel bars as a guide but she was doing it… and she was doing it all on her own. Rachel couldn't help but smile.

"Rachel… look I'm doing it! I'm walking," the smile on Quinn's face, the sparkle in her eyes, and the happiness in her voice was perfect. Rachel loved it.

All of it.

"Come here," Quinn said while looking directly at her. She knew she didn't deserve Quinn's forgiveness but she was grateful for it.

She got to her feet and walked over. As soon as she got there she was pulled into a hug by Quinn and Rachel knew she was somewhat helping Quinn stand up at this point because they were hugging, but Quinn was still doing most of the work. She smiled into Quinn's shoulder.

Today was a good day.

"Lay down, and come alive in all you've found. All you're meant to be.
For now, wait until the morning light. Close our eyes to see. Just close your eyes to see."

There was nothing more gratifying to Rachel than witnessing Quinn Fabray walking across the stage to retrieve her diploma. Sure, graduating was super gratifying in itself but nothing pleased Rachel more and felt more important than watching Quinn do it.

She felt relieved, she felt proud, and she felt honored to know her.

And all of those feelings vanished in a blink of Quinn's eye as a tear escaped it. This happened when Rachel left the school after graduation, hand in hand with Finn.

But what was she supposed to do?

Finn was her boyfriend.

She felt bad for Quinn; she did but Finn was her boyfriend and she had already previously agreed to attend Puck's party with him but suddenly she realized he wasn't taking her to the party.

He was taking her to the courthouse.

It was happening all over again.

She was pacing the room; her friends were all there dressed to the nines… all but one.

"Face it… Quinn isn't coming," Santana said but it sounded different.

It was an echo.

"She said she'll be here," Rachel said before she could stop herself. Before she could change the outcome of this day… her voice was also an echo.

She pulled out her phone and texted Quinn; but again it was different.

To Quinn: Where are you?

Several moments after getting no response, she tried again.

To Quinn: Where are you?

Her phone beeped with a response and she read it.

From Quinn: On my way

Then Rachel heard it… screeching tires, shattering glass, metal crunching, and Quinn screaming.

She woke up in a cold sweat.

She was in her bed; in the loft in Bushwick where she lived… but something was different.

"What's wrong?" The person who was in bed with her asked and it wasn't Finn.

And it definitely wasn't Quinn.

She looked over and saw that it was Santana in bed with her.

That isn't right is it?- she mentally asked herself.

"What's wrong?" Santana repeated as if them being in bed together was a perfectly normal thing. Rachel shook her head… maybe it'll make sense when she was fully awake.

"Nothing," she finally answered the question before she lay back down; and Santana went back to sleep.

But something was wrong.

Where is Quinn?

"And when you feel no saving grace, well I'm on my way, on my way.
And when you're bound to second place, well I'm on my way, on my way."

Rachel felt as though someone had literally punched a hole in her heart, she never thought she'd miss anyone this much. It had been three days since her almost wedding, since Quinn's accident. It's amazing how one event could open a person's eyes. How one event could change the course of someone's life?

But it was different this time.

Rachel could see the coffin in front of her but something was telling her that Quinn wasn't in it… that Quinn hadn't died in the accident.

And then she was pulled into a flashback… a memory.

She saw a flash of blond hair as the girl was running out ahead of her.

"Catch up," she said waving her hand at someone… Rachel assumed it was herself since this felt like she was there. They were in some sort of park, Rachel didn't recognize it. But Quinn was there, Quinn was alive; and that was all that mattered.

"Say something," Quinn said.

Those words jolted Rachel back into reality.

Or was it reality? - she asked herself.

She walked toward Quinn's coffin with a gardenia in her hand… everyone else was putting roses on it and no one- not even Finn would understand why she chose a gardenia.

But Quinn would… it was their secret.

But again it felt different.

Again she was pulled back in time by a flash of blond hair.

This time Quinn was lying in her bed at home and this time Rachel didn't have to wonder if she was the one with her because this time she was an observer to this dream or memory… or whatever it was.

This time she saw herself lying next to Quinn on her bed. They were both happy and smiling; and Quinn was looking at her like she was the most amazing thing in the whole world. And she watched herself beaming with pride because Quinn Fabray was looking at her.

"I'm so glad you're here," Quinn said to her and then the strangest thing happened. Rachel heard her own voice from an outsider's perspective.

"I'm glad you're here," Rachel replied; there were so many levels of meaning behind those words and Quinn's smile widened.

"I'm so glad you're mine," Quinn said before she rolled to her side, cupped Rachel's cheek and was about to bring their lips together when they heard Judy's voice calling Quinn.

"Quinn… I need you to come help me with something real quick," she called and Quinn rolled her eyes. She pressed a very sweet kiss to Rachel's lips before she hopped off the bed.

"On my way," Quinn called to her mother.

Those words jolted Rachel out of the flashback and back into reality.

Or was it… what was real and what was a dream?

Time after time Quinn tried to save Rachel from her own bad choices and time after time Rachel ignored her, or lashed out at her. And what did Quinn get for all her effort?

A broken back and a coffin.

Rachel felt tears escape her eyes as she leaned over and placed a gardenia on Quinn's coffin.

"On my way," it was an echo.

Rachel woke up again in a cold sweat. She was in her bed; in the bedroom of a different apartment in New York. It took her a few moments of looking around the room as she began to recognized things and as she did a smiled spread across her face.

"Hey babe," a familiar voice called out from the other room and Rachel's smile got even bigger. A moment later, Quinn poked her head into the room. "Hello beautiful," she said upon seeing Rachel's smiling face. "Are you going to sleep all day?"

"No… I uh… I was having a dream."

"Uh oh," Quinn entered the room fully and sat down next to her on the bed. "A nightmare again?"

"Yeah but…" Rachel trailed off. "Dream and reality were blurring together," she said as she was thinking back to her dream. "Yeah but it was different this time… this time, I knew it wasn't real. I knew you didn't really die. It was the funeral dream again but this time it was mixed with flashes of our life together after the accident."

"Oh good… we should call Dr. Thomas and tell her you've made some progress," Quinn told her and Rachel nodded. "Maybe you've finally worked past those demons and the nightmares will end."

"I hope so," Rachel said before she smiled again. Quinn met her eyes and matched her smile. She leaned in and kissed her. It was magical but just as Rachel tried to deepen the kiss Quinn pulled back.

"Now… up and out of bed," Quinn winked and Rachel pouted.

"I have a better idea," Rachel said with a husky tone and Quinn's naughty smile appeared. "Join me," Rachel offered to an already nodding Quinn. This time when their lips met and Rachel tried to deepen the kiss, Quinn definitely didn't stop it.

"So don't believe it's all in vain, cause I'm on my way, on my way."

Rachel was pacing the floor. She was dressed in a white wedding dress and she was in a court house; or was it?

She looked down and she was wearing a wedding dress; but it was a different dress.

She was waiting for something.

Or was she waiting for someone?

She didn't know, she couldn't tell.

"Face it… Quinn's not coming," Santana said and Rachel shot her an evil glare. She remembered those words but she couldn't feel Finn's pressure. She looked around and Finn wasn't even there.

In fact, everything was different. Her dads were there, and all of her friends were but they weren't wearing those sick pink dresses this time.

Kurt's tie was light green this time.

Burt and Carole weren't there, or maybe they were… but they weren't wherever she was. She looked around again. Where was she?

"Of course she was going to be here," she heard her own voice say.

"Rachel honey… it's now or never," this time it was a female voice; she turned to see Judy Fabray there and things were beginning to make sense.

A smile spread across her mouth.

"I know but Quinn's not here yet," she told her and her fears slipped away.

No pressure.

Unlike last time she didn't feel any pressure; she wanted to be here.

She didn't need Quinn to rescue her this time.

But where was Quinn?

"Yes but you need to get ready," Judy continued. "Quinn is on her way."

And it echoed.

Rachel began pacing again.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her.

I need Quinn.

Where is Quinn?

She pulled out her phone and dialed Quinn's phone number.

She could feel her fears creeping as the phone rang, once… twice… three times.

"Come on Quinn, answer the phone," she said out loud as she could feel her hands shaking and her heart pounding.

Six ring… seven rings…

"Quinn… say something," she whispered as she felt tears beginning to sting her eyes.

"I'll never give up on you," Quinn said as she answered the phone but was also in the room. Rachel turned to phone, saw her beautiful smiling face, dropped her phone and ran into her arms.

Rachel sat bolt upright from her dream and looked around.

She recognized this room; this room belonged to her therapist. As she looked around she smiled at the sight of both her doctor… and her Quinn.

"A-Are you okay baby?" Quinn asked concerned as she moved from the chair she had been sitting in over to the couch that Rachel was laying on.

"Yeah," Rachel said her tone and her hands still shaking from the dream.

The wonderfully, beautiful dream.

"Yeah… I just," she trailed off and Quinn shot Dr. Thomas a worried look before she looked back at Rachel.

"How bad was it?" She asked and felt herself tense up; not really wanting to hear the answer. She felt so bad for Rachel… these nightmares have gone on long enough and she just wanted her girl to stop blaming herself for the events that happened almost six years ago now.

"No… it um," Rachel swallowed hard and fully sat up. "I-It wasn't bad," Quinn sucked in a breath and Dr. Thomas sat up in her chair.

"What do you mean by that Rachel?" She asked.

"It um… it started out similar to the other one… the one where I was in the courtroom," both women nodded knowing fully well which one of Rachel's recurring nightmares she was referring to.

"It was different."

"How?" Dr. Thomas pushed.

"Um…" Rachel took a sip of the water that was on the nearby table as she fully settled down from the dream.

Dream.

That felt so much better than nightmare- she thought.

"Well it seemed like it was going to be another nightmare. It had the same dark feel as all the others and some of the dialogue was the same but it was different. I wasn't marrying Finn; in fact Finn wasn't even there. But I was at a wedding… my wedding and-" she stopped as more of the dream came back to her and she began to feel better and better.

"And?" Dr. Thomas pushed again.

"And I was still looking for Quinn, and waiting for Quinn but that was different this time too," she smiled at her girl.

"How?"

"Because," Rachel was talking to Dr. Thomas but she hadn't taken her eyes off of Quinn. "This time… this wedding, I was waiting for Quinn because she was who I was marrying." Both Quinn and the doctor smiled.

"And how did it end?"

"I uh…" Rachel finally looked back at her doctor. "I called Quinn instead of texting her and it rang like a million times but she answered it just as she got there and was standing behind me." Again Quinn couldn't fight the smile.

"What did you do?"

"I dropped the phone and ran to her… t-then I woke up," she said and Quinn was now rubbing her back soothingly.

"Rachel I believe you had what we call a break through," she told her happily.

"Really? It's over… finally; I won't be tortured by my own guilt?"

"It seems so," she promised. "You may still need a few more sessions to work through why your subconscious was dealing with this but yeah… I think you are finally dealing with this in the correct and healthy way; and I think you maybe have stopped blaming yourself for that day."

"I think so too," Rachel said happily.

"Congratulations," Dr. Thomas said to her just as Quinn nearly tackled the girl in a kiss.

"The light at the end is worth the pain, cause I'm on my way, on my way."

Rachel was standing at the alter in a white wedding dress; it was very different than the one she was wearing the day she almost married Finn. The day of…

And then dread hit her.

Is this another nightmare?

But her worrying didn't last long because suddenly she felt calm.

If this were a dream- she thought. It was the dream she dreamed her whole life.

And when the music began she looked at the person who was walking toward her; and her face beamed with a huge smile at the sight of Quinn.

She watched with bated breath as Quinn walked toward her very slowly and with each step Quinn took; a memory of their life together flashed before Rachel's eyes.

Her helping Quinn learn to walk again.

Quinn asking her out a week after she broke up with Finn.

Their first date.

Their first kiss.

Their first… she felt her face blush on that thought. Another step… another memory.

Their long distance relationship.

Quinn getting jealous when she found out Santana and Rachel were sharing a bed in the loft.

Quinn buying Santana an air mattress.

Another step… another memory…

The day she and Quinn broke through her nightmares in therapy and her never having another one since that day.

The day Quinn proposed… on one knee, a gardenia corsage in one hand, and a ring in the other.

Another step… and now Quinn was standing beside her.

Where she belonged.

Where she had always belonged.

Rachel turned to her fiancée, her soon to be wife, her best friend…and their eyes locked.

"Is this a dream?" She wondered and Quinn nodded with a contented smile.

"A dream come true."

/
"I'll be there the moment, you come out in white
Cause I'm on my way, on my way."

END.

A/N 2: I apologize for any and all confusion but I couldn't fix it without changing the feel of the story and I wasn't going to do that. I hope you all enjoyed the story.