Disclaimer: Don't own Glee, don't sue. Blah blah blah.

A/N: This is finally it. This fic is officially completed. I hope this satisfies you! Thank you so much for sticking with this story for as long as you all have. Thanks to all those who added this fic to alerts and for those who added me as favourite author, and those who left comments, messages and reviews. It has been a pleasure writing for all of you and your support is appreciated. Please R&R and enjoy this final installment. No seriously. Not kidding. It's all done. For realz. :)

Epilogue:

Things moved swiftly after that. Rachel finished her performances in the small community theatre in Lima, Ohio, and Quinn later whisked her off to New York. Their relationship sizzled with a fresh intensity, still bordering on unstable passion, but none the less both women seemed to jump in with two feet.

Quinn shut the door, resting her palm against the sturdy wood for a minute, relishing the feel of the new space and enjoying the peaceful quiet of their new apartment. The soft click as she locked the door sounded with finality and a small smile played across her lips. She turned and spied Rachel through the archway. The brunette stood in a small clearing in the middle of the living room, taking in the space and mentally cataloguing each box with her brown eyes. Quinn crossed the floor and found Rachel almost at eye level, and cast a look down at the high heels still secured to her petite feet. Rachel smiled sheepishly and acquiesced to Quinn's silent request, slipping the heels off her feet. She stood flat-footed on the hardwood floor, looking up into hazel eyes. "Happy now?" she asked somewhat sarcastically. Quinn laughed softly at her tiny girlfriend and slipped her arms around her waist. "You have no idea," she whispered against her hair. Rachel filled with effervescent elation at the soft melody of Quinn's voice. The breathy, honey tone mixed with the vibration she felt against her body, and the tranquillity of the recently acquired new environment gave Rachel the impression of dizzying possibilities and promises of the future.

It was a stark contrast to the weeks leading up to their move. Long, sleepless nights for Rachel, long bouts of stubborn silence from Quinn. Every opening of Rachel's mouth ended with Quinn slamming a door, and every slamming of a door opened a floodgate of fresh tears for Rachel. Their journey was marred by impatience, arguments and frustration; both parties were to blame and both parties eventually took responsibility. They teased out solutions, sometimes slowly and painfully, other times effortlessly… Rachel would fold herself into Quinn's arms and no matter how impenetrable her silence was the warmth of the small body trying to climb inside her melted away that harsh exterior. Sometimes they would cry together. No more so than days after Quinn and Victoria's fight.

Quinn dumped the bag of junk food on the kitchen counter and pulled out the ice cream as she yanked the top drawer open and fumbled for a spoon. She bounded up the stairs with her prize and pushed the door to Rachel's room open. "New York Super Fudge Chunk, one spoon, and a pair of very loving arms await you, provided you give me just one smile," she announced happily. The bleak interior startled Quinn as she took in the drawn curtains and the small lifeless lump hidden under the blankets. She'd come back with ice cream and various other treats, intent on some kind of movie marathon to pick up Rachel's mood. Santana had told her about the irregular mood swings that Rachel sometimes experienced. Some days she just missed the intoxicating euphoria of a good fix, other times it was the weight of memories like scars that she carried with her. Rachel was brilliant on stage because she'd spent most of her everyday life acting, and it was for this reason that days like this were so much more intense; no one ever saw it coming. Quinn placed the ice cream on the bedside table and climbed onto the bed, moulding herself around Rachel's compacted form. The small brunette's body started shaking with her sobs and Quinn mumbled nonsensical utterances for comfort as her mind transported her back to the room in the beach house. Quinn stroked Rachel's arm a few times before finding her hand and lacing their fingers together. "Baby, what's wrong?" she asked gently. Quinn winced as the question only made Rachel cry harder. She waited for the sobs to die down in intensity as she held onto the shuddering body, all the while racking her brain for some kind of solution. It didn't escape her that she was completely unprepared to handle a situation like this, especially since she hadn't been around to witness a breakdown first hand. She had only ever spoken to Rachel over the phone during these episodes. She didn't understand why Rachel would succumb to this darkness, and try as she might; nothing seemed to make it better. Quinn was a 'fixer', if she saw a problem she felt it was her duty to find a solution. As she stared numbly at the condensation sliding down the carton of ice cream sitting on the nightstand, she knew it was going to take more than dessert to shift Rachel's mood. So Rachel cried and shook, and Quinn watched the trickling water collect in a pool on the wooden surface until it occurred to her that she should put the ice cream in the freezer so it wouldn't go to waste. She disengaged herself, picked up the carton and disappeared downstairs.

She shut the freezer with more force than was necessary and sighing with frustration she tilted her face up to stare at the kitchen ceiling that separated her and Rachel. She wanted to march back upstairs, yank the curtains open and pull the woman from the bed, she wanted to tell her to stop crying because everything was fine and they were supposed to be happy. She wanted to be selfish, she wanted to have her own way. And there it was, the cold kernel of truth. The realization caused it to rupture and covered all her thoughts in a bitter, inky residue. She cursed her own weakness, knowing what a disappointment she was. It hadn't taken long for her to revert to her usual habits. Not only had she managed to make the situation all about her feelings, she had once again managed to leave Rachel when she was vulnerable and low. She grabbed the gold star glass from the shelf, filled it with water and returned to Rachel's side.

"I thought you'd left," said Rachel hoarsely as Quinn knelt down next to her side of the bed, offering her the glass of water.
Quinn shook her head. "I realized how much you hate that. But I hate watery ice cream so I put it back in the freezer for later," she answered, trying her best not to upset her girlfriend any further.
"Yeah, later might be better," agreed Rachel. Quinn nodded and nervously moved her hand to smooth Rachel's hair, giving her a reassuring smile as she awkwardly stepped on eggshells. "I'm sorry," Rachel apologized weakly, her voice hollow and tired. "I didn't really want you to see me like this," she admitted shakily. Quinn cocked her head, silently asking for some further explanation as she continued to play distractedly with the matted locks of Rachel's hair. "It's another reason for you to run," she shrugged, "And you hardly need an incentive." Quinn instantly drew her hand away from Rachel and her hazel eyes took on that granite quality which seemed to smoulder with anger-coated hurt.
"You never told me what was wrong," Quinn said, opting instead to change the subject. She knew she would lose her temper if the broken woman refused to give her an honest reply. She watched her thoughtful expression turn to a look of anxious terror and waited for an answer.
"I'm scared of saying the wrong thing," Rachel said slowly when Quinn raised her eyebrows again. She could feel the thinning threads of their relationship pull taut and stretch to breaking point. She was constantly terrified that she would be the reason those fine threads would snap and cause her world to collapse around her. She tried so hard to keep all of her demons at bay, and for the most part she was steadily recovering. Some days were harder than others but she was born to perform, and perform she did. Then there were these days. Days where she was heavy with regret, pregnant with vicious thoughts, and buried under a mountain of doubts, fears and debilitating sadness. It was days like these where it was impossible to affix a painted on smile and power through the shit storm raging within her. It was days like these when intoxicating weakness filtered through her veins, made her feel worthless and filled her with self-loathing. She wasn't sure if this was part and parcel of staying clean – she didn't have the luxury of shooting up to disappear into a hazy dimension of non-existence – or if this was a pre-existing condition. Perhaps her emotional wavelength had yet to adjust to something normal.

Quinn wondered what Rachel was thinking about with such intense concentration. She stroked her cheek with her thumb in an effort to gently coax the girl back to her. "There's nothing to be scared of," whispered Quinn, "I'll protect you."
"How can you protect me from myself?" she asked.
"Have you seen you? You're tiny," she joked, "I can take you." Quinn's gamble paid off when Rachel rewarded her with the smallest half-smile. It was a start. "There she is," said Quinn quietly, giving Rachel a smile of her own. She decided to broach a subject that so far had been shot down every time it was brought up. She closed her eyes momentarily as she mentally prepared herself. "What about rehab?" she ventured quickly, ripping open the discussion like she would rip off a bandaid.
Rachel stared at her blankly. "What about it?" she asked, trying not to sound combative. Quinn delicately alluded to the fact that rehab was still an option, and there were plenty of great clinics they could look into. Rachel slowly shook her head and grabbed for Quinn's hand so she could squeeze it gently between hers. "Is that what you want?" she asked.
"This is about what's best for you, Rachel."
"No, it's about you wanting an immediate and clean solution to this problem," snapped Rachel. She immediately regretted her tone but it was too late to take back what she had said. Quinn ripped into her with unbridled outrage.
"Well, forgive me for not wanting you to spend days in bed, crying your eyes out while I walk around on eggshells feeling useless!" the blond fired back heatedly.
"We can't all shut off our feelings like you can, or run away and ignore them." Quinn stood abruptly and yanked her hand out of Rachel's as she did so. "Oh what a surprise, I guess that's your cue."
"You're so frustrating!"
"No, I'm sad, Quinn. Why can't you just let me be sad?" exploded Rachel. Their individual volumes had increased dramatically as each woman got more and more entrenched in their battle stations, digging in deep to defend their positions. Rachel stared hard at Quinn, daring her to walk out, and Quinn stared back, daring her to call her bluff. They were both painfully aware that they were fighting again and both contemplated if this was all they had to look forward to in New York. Their flaring tempers slowly cooled off as they acknowledged the dreariness of a future that consisted of no more than this.

Quinn was the first to speak, folding her arms and stepping closer to the bed. "I never said you couldn't be sad," she said softly.
"You make it so hard to be anything less than what you want," Rachel sighed. Quinn's eyes filled with tears at the desperation in Rachel's voice. "I tell you how I'm feeling and you tell me to feel better, like it's an option I'm ignoring." She paused momentarily before continuing, "And if I'm upset you assume I'm going to use, or that I want to. I'm not constantly on the brink of destruction, Quinn."
Hazel eyes blinked back more tears and she slowly shook her head, unable to meet Rachel's gaze. "That's what it feels like," she yelled finally. "Like you're always a second away from disappearing. And if I can keep you happy, then I can keep you here!" Rachel's face fell as she witnessed Quinn's collapse, all the emotion pouring steadily out of her through the unseen cracks of her once impermeable armour. She leapt out of bed and rushed to take Quinn into her arms but faltered when Quinn turned away from her. "Don't. I'm fine," she said tightly. Rachel hesitated for a split-second before moving her arms around the taller woman's waist. Again she shrugged her off like the touch burned. "I don't need to be held." Rachel relinquished her hold immediately and stepped away awkwardly, her arms wrapped around herself instead.
"What are we doing?" she asked barely above a whisper, "Besides destroying each other." Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she padded back towards the bed and sat on its edge, still facing Quinn but staring down at the carpet.
"We're not," Quinn answered half-heartedly, the empty words unconvincing even to her. The silence returned, settling over them like a snowdrift. Neither had any fight left in them to dig their way out. After a while Rachel left to have a shower and Quinn sat alone with her thoughts.

The rest of the day passed awkwardly with idle conversation carefully intermingled with estranged silence. Later that night Quinn lay back against her pillows and stared at the ceiling. Rachel shut the door and looked at her. She was unsure of what to say, but she knew they couldn't go on like this. She walked towards the bed and climbed on top of Quinn, placing one knee on either side of Quinn's body, and looked down into her hazel eyes. The feeling of Rachel's body on top of her caused Quinn's heart to thud wildly in her chest. It had been a long time since she and Rachel had been intimate, both women deciding that it only proved to be a quick fix which later lead to further ruptures in their relationship. Rachel realized the predicament at the same time Quinn had, a slight blush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks as she tried to shift into a less provocative position. Quinn placed her hands on Rachel's hips in an effort to stabilize her. The familiar touch made Rachel's mouth dry and sent a faint bolt of heat straight to her centre. It took her a minute to remember why she had climbed on top of Quinn in the first place, and when she looked into the now darkened hazel eyes below her she felt an unquestionable need to press her lips against Quinn's inviting mouth. As Quinn's thumbs gingerly rubbed small circles on her hips Rachel gave way to temptation and bent down to crush their lips together. Need filled both women in an instant of pure passion. Soon Rachel was moaning into the kiss as Quinn slipped her tongue into her mouth and explored her, massaging her tongue with hers.

They kissed each other hungrily and when they eventually broke apart, panting and gasping from the need for oxygen and each other, they locked eyes. Rachel read the panic in Quinn's eyes and whispered that she should stop thinking before she pulled her tank top over her head and exposed her breasts. Quinn pulled Rachel back down into another steamy kiss before flipping them over so that the brunette was pressed against the bed. She ghosted her fingertips over Rachel's breast and watched with satisfaction as she bit her lip in ecstasy. "We really shouldn't," Quinn's husky voice whispered close to her ear, her breath tickling her as she added, "But I just want you so fucking bad right now." Then her lips attached to the tan skin of Rachel's neck and she diligently set about leaving a mark on the exposed skin, enjoying the cries of pleasure exiting her girlfriend's mouth as she took a hardened nipple between her thumb and index finger. Rachel tangled her hand in Quinn's messy, golden mane while she panted and gasped in between the words she uttered like a desperate prayer. "Do you get it now? We all have our junk and my junk is you. You're my drug of choice now, Quinn." Quinn lifted her head to look at Rachel's face. She dimly registered the familiar line of the song somewhere in her foggy brain and she wasn't sure if she truly understood the confession, but she did know she felt the same need for Rachel. "Baby, please stop thinking and fuck me," begged Rachel. She didn't wait for Quinn to consent before hastily tearing off her shorts and stripping Quinn's clothes off her body, wanting nothing more than to feel soft, ivory skin pressed against her own naked body. Rachel grabbed Quinn's hand and moved it down between them. Quinn groaned loudly at the silky heat that greeted her fingers. "Fuck," she moaned as her dexterous digits started stroking Rachel's folds, lubricating them easily before she entered her with two long fingers. Rachel bucked desperately against Quinn's hand as the blond thrust in and out of her. She moaned Quinn's name loudly, gripping the sheets as she tried to open herself completely to Quinn, needing to feel her everywhere. Her tan skin tingled with smouldering heat while Quinn's mouth sucked and kissed her breasts, her tongue moving at a distinctive rhythm to the thrusts of her hand and making Rachel's head explode pleasurably. Rachel needed to feel even more, to experience even more, so willing her mouth to make more than incomprehensible moans and indistinguishable curses, she whispered something close to Quinn's ear. She nodded her head and slowly withdrew her fingers from Rachel's entrance and licked them clean while the brunette watched captivated while she struggled to remember how to move.

Rachel spread Quinn's legs and hooking her arms under her thighs for better access slowly started to lick up and down her slit. The first caress of Rachel's tongue sent Quinn into a slow motion meltdown, her breathing became shallow and she whimpered as Rachel's mouth explored her delicate folds. She placed a hand on the head situated between her legs and moaned emphatically when the brunette sucked on her clit. Quinn raised her hips into Rachel's mouth, contorting her body as wave after wave of pleasure shot through her courtesy of the talented tongue swirling inside of her. When Rachel was satisfied that Quinn was suitable ready for her, she looked up at her glowing face and smirked at her. She sat up on her knees and moved to extend Quinn's legs out in front of her. It took a few seconds for Quinn to understand what position Rachel had wanted to try, but when she lifted her leg up onto her shoulder and began to scoot closer to Quinn's exposed centre, she instantly felt her body flush with anticipation. Rachel looked deep into Quinn's eyes, her brown eyes darkened with lust as she ran a hand up and down her thigh before pressing herself against the eager woman's open pussy. Rachel slowly started grinding against Quinn who had gripped onto Rachel's thighs as she thrust up against her wet heat. "Fuck, baby," moaned Rachel, who was enjoying the more dominant position and controlled the speed at which their clits met.
"More," was all Quinn could gasp out. She had never felt this good before, feeling Rachel hot and wet rubbing against her most sensitive parts made her lose her mind. Rachel, hungry to please, added a little more pressure, causing her to moan even louder as she and Quinn scissored. A string of obscenities punctuated by Rachel's name flowed from Quinn's mouth and Rachel knew she was close. They picked up the speed and thrust against each other frantically, building an intense orgasm between them and coming undone with each other's names on their lips. Rachel fell back against the bed, panting and covered in a thin sheen of sweat, exhausted. Her body shuddered with the aftershocks of climax and her head swam. Quinn moaned leisurely, her body completely relaxed while she licked her lips and smiled. It wasn't a permanent fix, but fuck it felt good.

Rachel stretched up onto her toes and brushed her lips along Quinn's jaw, bringing her back to the living room where the blond still had her arms around her. "I like it here," said Rachel, "But perhaps we could start unpacking?" Quinn smiled apologetically and kissed Rachel's forehead. They divided the rooms between themselves and set about unpacking the contents of the boxes, transforming the new apartment into a home.

Things weren't always perfect but they loved each other. This was their chance to make things right and both Rachel and Quinn felt confident about where they were headed. No more running, all or nothing.

THE END.