The shy blonde sat herself in the corner of the room, away from all the hustle and bustle of a class full of children playing and being as loud as possible.

"Hi, I'm Rachel Berry, who are you?"

Quinn turned to see who'd spoken to her; a petite brunette sat smiling at her perched on the desk next to her. She returned the smile.

"Quinn Fabray"

"Hi Quinn, we should be friends. I saw you by yourself so I thought I'd come sit with you, is that okay? I'm usually by myself too"

Even at 6 years old, Rachel Berry was a babbler. And even then, Quinn knew it.

She simply nodded at the girl, surprised at how confident she was.

"Do you like to sing? I love to sing. Do you want half of my cookies? Here" she said passing the packet to the blonde who hadn't managed to get a word in edgeways.

"You talk a lot, and I love singing" Quinn laughed.

"That's great! We should sing together. And I do talk a lot, sorry, my daddies tell me all the time" Rachel replied with a smile.

"Daddies?"

"Yes I have 2 dads, are you going to make fun of me like the other kids?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because everyone else has a mommy and a daddy but I have 2 dads"

"Do they love you the same?"

"Yes"

"Then I don't care"

The two girls smiled at each other, an unspoken mutual understanding.

"Thank you for sitting with me and for the cookies" Quinn said giving the significantly shorter girl a brief hug.

"Thank you for being my friend"

That was back in the first grade. They were now in high school and things were different. Things had changed, when Quinn started puberty and her popularity had grown their friendship had just faded to the background.

By high school the blonde had become the 'head bitch' of the school and Rachel was someone whom her cheerleading squad took great delight in torturing. Until again, things changed dramatically.

Quinn never expected to get pregnant, and she never expected it to be such a complicated situation to be in. But despite everything that had happened between the two of them, Rachel was still there for her.

Making sure that she went to her appointments, took her vitamins and helped her between classes. Heck, she even got her dads to drive the two of them to a drive through fast food restaurant when Quinn had an intense craving to stuff her face with French fries and double bacon cheeseburgers.

She'd even put Puck in his place when his douche bag behaviour upset her.

Rachel was a saint, and though her hormones got the better of her sometimes, Quinn appreciated every single thing the petite brunette did for her.

They were in Spanish class when Quinn's waters broke and flooded her shoes. Whilst the blonde froze in a panic Rachel immediately took charge and calmly ordered their teacher to call her parents. She helped her to the car with the help of her dads telling her she'd be there every step of the way, and she stayed true to her word. Letting Quinn crush her tiny hand with every painful contraction she felt, helping her with her breathing exercises not paying attention to how strange the situation was. She called Puck to tell him to get to the hospital fast and let loose a string of surprising expletives when he completely blew off the birth. She never left Quinn's side once during her 9 hour labour.

Rachel just took it all. She let Quinn scream about how she was never having sex again and let her cry all over her repeatedly.

Constantly reassuring her she was there and wasn't going to leave, she wouldn't walk away like Puck so easily did.

Tepid sponging her sweaty forehead with a flannel, keeping her hydrated with water.

Letting her dads pop in and out to check on them, cracking jokes and fawning all over Quinn. It was like one big family picture.

And when the little girl finally arrived and came out screaming they all wept. Especially Rachel, even more so when Quinn asked the doctors to let Rachel be the one to cut the cord.

When the bundled baby was placed against her Quinn's smile reached her eyes, she was exhausted but happy. And Rachel had been there through it all.

"Thank you for being my friend Rachel"

"I'll never leave you Quinn, nor little.."

"Star. Star Maria Fabray"

"She's beautiful, and has a beautiful name"

Quinn smiled. "Aren't you going to ask for an explanation?"

"I was waiting for you to offer it" Rachel grinned.

"Maria because the name has been drilled into my brain since childhood thanks to you and The Sound of Music, and Star, again because of you"

The excited smile etched on the brunette's face couldn't go amiss.

"Are you sure? That's a big thing naming your daughter in relation to me Quinn"

"Auntie Rachel, we love you" Quinn beamed taking Rachel's hand with hers that was free.

Rachel hugged both mother and daughter in a light embrace kissing them briefly on the forehead. Both knowing that Auntie would be an understatement, she'd be like a second mom.