Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: Okay guys and girls, this is the final main chapter, just an epilogue to come. I contemplated breaking this chapter into two parts but since it's all written, why not put it in one chapter? You get to see a very non-canon Russell Fabray in this chapter. I thought I'd stray from the usual Russell. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) – 10646

Chapter 39:

She flips through the photographs on her cell phone, lingering on each one for several seconds before her finger hovers over the delete button. Most of them she manages to delete but some she finds herself unable to do so. She's well aware that moving on from Rachel requires not seeing photographs of the pair of them together every time she looks at her phone; she didn't need Quinn to inform her of that. Then again, she doesn't want to lose every memento she has of the girl. Memories will undoubtedly fade over time but at least she can save the pictures.

In time she's sure she'll be able to delete them but not right now.

Quinn and Rachel need to give her time to deal with everything but time isn't exclusive to them. She can't accept everything right now, she needs time too.

It really does appear to be the pivotal point of everything.

It's safe to say she didn't expect to be back staying in her parent's house until a family birthday or next Christmas yet here she is. Right back to where she was eight years ago, hiding away in her bedroom trying to forget about her broken heart. Eight years ago she cried in her bedroom over Alison but this time, she's determined not to cry.

Crying isn't going to help her. No matter how many tears she sheds over Rachel, their relationship isn't going to be rekindled. She picks up her phone after hearing it beep and opens the new text message.

When you get back, how would you feel about going out for coffee or something to eat?"

Sophie taps out her reply, saying she would love to do that, before sending the message back to Jessica. Since Sophie started working at the high school over a year ago, her only interactions with Jessica have primarily been brief greetings in passing, neither woman ever lingering for a proper conversation. She didn't really know Jessica until recently. During the skiing holiday, they talked properly for the first time and an immediate friendship between the two of them was cemented. Jessica has actually been her rock these last couple of weeks and Sophie will never be able to show Jessica just how much she appreciates that.

After Alison, Sophie had Santana to talk to but she can't talk to Santana now, not after finding out that her supposed friend knew about Rachel and Quinn and their little affair but chose to keep it a secret from her. By default, she ended up talking to Jessica. They would spend their lunch hours together in one another's classrooms and even though Sophie must have sounded like a broken record, Jessica continuously listened to her and never once told her to get over it or shut up.

Their blossoming friendship is something Sophie's thankful for. She doesn't know what she'd have done if she didn't at least have Jessica in her corner.

"How are you sweetheart?"

Sophie looks up to find her mother standing in her bedroom. As a teenager, her mother would never knock on her bedroom door and evidently, it's a gesture she still decides against doing.

It's nice to know that some things never change.

"I'm fine mom. It's not like this is a new experience for me."

"Honey, it doesn't matter in the slightest if you're sixteen or sixty, heartbreak never gets any easier."

Sophie fiddles with her fingers. "You don't need to keep checking up on me, I'm not sixteen anymore."

"Age isn't important. No matter how old you are, you will always be my little girl and I will always feel the need to check on you." Sheila crosses her arms over her chest. "You know, I never liked Rachel."

Sophie scoffs. "Well now there's a lie if ever I've heard one. You adored her mom; you wanted me to marry her so she could be your daughter-in-law."

"I certainly don't like her anymore, not after what she's done." She moves towards Sophie's mini suitcase and starts unpacking her daughter's clothes, ignoring Sophie's statement that she can do it herself. "I think I need to have words with Quinn, she can't keep hurting you like this."

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me," Sophie states. "Quinn fell in love with Rachel and vice versa, I know how easy it is for that to happen. It took me less than a month to fall for Rachel."

"I certainly didn't expect to hear you defending them," her mother says softly. "I presumed you would have hated the pair of them."

"I do," Sophie admits quietly, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "I've known Quinn since we were four so deep down; I know that she would have stayed away from Rachel if she could. Deep down I know nothing would have happened unless they were…unless they had strong feelings for one another. They don't think I understand that but I do. That knowledge doesn't stop me from hurting though."

"You can fall in love with somebody and choose not to act on those feelings."

"Yeah," Sophie agrees. "But hypothetically, say Rachel and Quinn were dating and I met and fell in love with Rachel, I don't know whether I'd have been able to not act on how I feel."

"You would have Sophie because you're a good person."

"I'm not sure cheating and being a good person are necessarily synonymous," Sophie whispers. She's always believed Quinn was a good person at heart and she wants to tell her mother that but her feelings of sheer distain are preventing the words from leaving her mouth. "Everybody makes a bad choice at some point. I know I certainly have."

"You're defending her again. Sophie, are you intending on forgiving Quinn? I won't stand in your way if that's what you want to do, it's not my place. I do have to tell you, I don't think it's the best idea."

"I'm not going to forgive her mom," Sophie informs her. "Our friendship may be over but that doesn't change the fact that we were part of each other's lives for twenty years. I doubt I'm going to be able to ever completely eradicate her from my life, even if I want to, but we can never be the same as we once were. I've accepted that. I think Quinn might have as well."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I'm not sure about anything anymore."

After spending two weeks enjoying newly married life and alternating between lying on the beach in a bikini and lounging about in their hotel room, hardly leaving their bed, rainy New York City leaves a lot to be desired. She used to adore the rain and would spend hours sitting inside, watching it batter against the windows. She found a certain level of comfort in the form of precipitation. Her first kiss with Brittany had actually been in the rain. She'd been walking Brittany home after their first date and about five blocks from Brittany's apartment, Santana stopped. She can still remember how Brittany's brow furrowed and how she'd asked why they were stopping when it was raining. Rather than give her a verbal response, Santana kissed her, claiming she didn't want to wait until they were at Brittany's front door.

She's never been one for following stereotypes.

Right now, she'd give anything to be back on their honeymoon when the only concern they had was each other. She wishes she could still be lying on the beach, trailing her finger up and down Brittany's bikini clad body, revelling in the envious looks a plethora of men and women threw in her direction. During their honeymoon, they could both relax and shy away from any problems occurring at home, it was just them and nothing else mattered.

Now they're back, they've lost that luxury.

The second they stepped onto the plane at JFK, they decided to switch their cell phones off and leave them off for the duration of their honeymoon, with the exception of emergencies. They didn't want any distractions. After stepping off the flight home, Santana switched her cell phone back on only to find several voicemails from Quinn and a couple from Sophie. Sophie's voicemails, which Santana still hasn't decided if they were meant for her, mainly consisted of drunken hiccupping and mumbled words choked out between sobs, while Quinn's voicemails consisted of worries and a constant wish that Santana would answer the phone.

She hasn't returned any of the calls yet.

She hasn't found the strength.

"I can't believe we're back in New York," Brittany comments as she throws her legs haphazardly over Santana as they sit together on the couch. "It's surreal."

Santana peers over the book she's reading to stare at her wife. "When you say surreal, do you mean it in a good or a bad way?"

"Neither, it's just surreal." Brittany shrugs her shoulders before attempting to explain her reasoning. "Three weeks ago we were engaged, then we had the wedding and the past two weeks we've been enjoying our honeymoon. It's all been such a whirlwind. I'd been used to calling you my fiancée and now I get to say you're my wife. This is it Santana, the start of the rest of our lives."

Santana leans forward and gives her wife a quick peck. "I for one can't wait. There's a lot to look forward to Brittany."

"I know," Brittany replies. "Our first house, our first child…"

Santana releases a short laugh. "Obviously I want those things but how about we slow things down a little bit? I mean, we've only just got married, we don't want to rush into anything."

Brittany pouts before grinning. "I didn't mean we had to go and buy a house right this second, although the look on your face was definitely priceless. For the time being I just want to enjoy being married to you. We're lucky to have each other, not everybody has that luxury."

The implication of Brittany's statement is clear. "Yeah, I know."

When Brittany doesn't say anything else, Santana returns her attention back to her book. She's only read one line when Brittany speaks.

"If you had to wish for something right now, what would it be?"

Tilting her head in curiosity, Santana smirks. "Well, I certainly wouldn't mind being back in the Seychelles."

"I wouldn't mind being back in the hotel room."

Santana quirks her right eyebrow in delight and lowers her book. "We may not have the sunshine or the beach but babe; we do not need a hotel room. In case it's escaped your notice, we have a perfectly good bedroom over there, which we have yet to christen as newlyweds."

"We christened the bedroom on our wedding night," Brittany tells her. "And the bathtub."

Santana rolls her eyes playfully. "Okay, we've yet to christen it upon on return from honeymoon." She closes the distance between her and her wife and waits patiently for Brittany to surrender before sighing when the other woman doesn't move. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you assume anything is wrong?"

"Normally you don't need me to ask twice so something is clearly on your mind."

Brittany stares at her ring finger nervously. "Have you spoken to Sophie or Quinn yet?"

Santana's eyes flutter shut as she subconsciously tightens her grasp on the book she's reading. She has to hand it to her wife, they returned from the Seychelles just shy of twenty four hours ago and this is the first time Brittany has mentioned the women.

Although their flight did land at one in the morning so upon returning home, the pair of them immediately retired to bed and slept until midday.

"How long have you been waiting to ask me that?"

"Since we landed at JFK," Brittany admits.

"Well done for waiting this long, I know that can't have been easy," Santana replies light-heartedly. "Brittany, we haven't even been back for a day yet, give me a chance."

"They're your best friends Santana, they need you. They've probably needed you the past two weeks but you haven't been here."

Santana puffs out a breath before reaching into her pyjama bottoms and removing her cell phone. She hands it to Brittany. "Listen to the voicemails."

Brittany doesn't even question it and does as requested. Santana sits in silence as Brittany listens to every voicemail on Santana's phone. "Have you called them back?"

"Not yet."

"Santana, you need to call them."

"I know I do but I don't know what I'm supposed to say to them Brittany. I want to tell Sophie how sorry I am about what's happened but won't that make me sound rather hypocritical since I knew about Quinn and Rachel and neglected to tell her."

"It wasn't your place to tell Sophie about the affair," Brittany says softly.

"I don't think Sophie sees it like that. She thinks I should have told her and maybe I should have," Santana replies. "I made a mistake keeping it a secret."

"You were in an impossible situation, whatever you did, you've have hurt one of your friends."

Santana sighs heavily. "What do I say to Quinn? I don't condone what she has done but at the same time, I can't…I don't and will probably never hate her because she's still my best friend."

"I understand that but so is Sophie."

"You're wrong," Santana tells her. "I've always given Sophie the label of my best friend but honestly, I've always been so much closer to Quinn. In that week of limbo between our wedding and our honeymoon, Sophie barely gave me a chance to talk to her. I think she assumed I would automatically side with Quinn and she'd be left to deal with everything on her own." She runs her fingers through her hair as Brittany stares at her intently. "I tried to mediate between the two of them but I couldn't. Sophie wouldn't tolerate a conversation which revolved around either Rachel or Quinn plus she didn't really want to talk to me. I couldn't talk to Quinn without wanting to slap her. Why do you think I asked you to come every time talked to her?"

"It's been three weeks since Sophie found out about Rachel and Quinn, everything might have settled down now." Santana scoffs at her wife's response. "Okay, they might be starting to settle down. It might be easier to talk to Sophie and Quinn now; they could be willing to listen."

"Maybe you're right," Santana agrees. "But I still don't know what I'm supposed to say to them."

"I don't think you'll need to say anything to them. All you need to do is be there for Quinn and Sophie." Brittany tilts her head to the side. "When I'm upset, just knowing you're there makes me feel better."

"It's not the same thing. I've purposely ignored them both for two weeks."

"Well now is your chance to fix that." Brittany removes her legs from Santana's lap.

"I don't understand why you don't appear to be having a problem with everything right now."

"I've known Rachel since high school. If I had to choose between all three of them, I'd choose her. It's not because I dislike Sophie or Quinn because obviously that's not how I feel, I just can't help but by loyal to Rachel. She wouldn't have slept with Quinn if she didn't love her. I'm not stuck in the middle. You are and I can only imagine how much that hurts. The only problem I'm having is I hate the fact that you're struggling."

"I wish I was in your situation right now."

Brittany smiles sadly. "I'm going to see Rachel tomorrow; you could always come with me."

Santana hums gently. "This may come as a surprise to you but the first thing I want to do after coming back from our honeymoon isn't spending time with Berry."

"That's not a surprise," Brittany says quickly. "You wouldn't be spending time with Rachel though. You'd be spending time with Quinn. Apparently they've been spending the majority of their days together."

"That sounds about right, when Quinn falls, she falls hard. She's been unable to be with Rachel for months; she's going to want to spend as much time with her as possible."

Brittany leans forward slightly. "So will you come to with me tomorrow?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Yes."

Technically that's not true; she doesn't really have a choice. "I'll come with you."

"Does this dress look okay?" Rachel asks as she holds up the black dress she wore in Las Vegas.

"That depends on the occasion you're wearing it for. If you were wearing it for a night out in a club, then yes. If that's the dress you were contemplating wearing tomorrow when you meet my parents for the first time, I'd have to say not really. May I suggest something which doesn't expose your cleavage or stop mid-thigh?"

Rachel glances at the dress once more. "Perhaps you're right."

"That being said, I have nothing against the dress. In fact, I think I'm going to take you out one night this week and you should definitely wear that. My memory from that night in Vegas is slightly hazy but I seem to recall you looked amazing in it."

Rachel's cheeks fill with colour as she smiles. "You're going to take me out?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Wherever you want to go."

The smile on Rachel's face doesn't disappear. "As lovely as that sounds, we really need to prepare for tomorrow before thinking about the rest of the week. What should I wear?" Rachel questions as she peruses her clothes, stopping to stare at each individual dress for some time, silently weighing up the pros and cons. "I wore a red dress when I met Sophie's parents but I can't see that here."

"I don't really want you to wear the same dress you wore when you met Sophie's parents. Call it a superstition if you want."

Rachel glances over her shoulder at Quinn. "That's understandable. Quinn." She exhales heavily. "I'm meeting them tomorrow; we don't have time to go shopping so buying another outfit is out of the question."

"You don't need to go shopping." Quinn stands from the bed and wraps her arms around Rachel's waist from behind; dropping a kiss on her girlfriend's clothed shoulder. "Just dress like you normally would. You don't need to change who you are just because you're meeting my parents."

"I need to make a good first impression."

Quinn grimaces and prays Rachel doesn't notice. Technically Judy already has a first impression of Rachel from the wedding but she's yet to tell Rachel that. As far as Rachel's concerned, Judy doesn't know who she is. She walks past Rachel and starts searching through her girlfriend's clothes. "Wear this," she comments, handing over a sweater.

"I can't wear that, it's something I'd wear to nip to the grocery store, not to meet your parents."

"Stop worrying so much. My parents aren't going to judge you on what you wear. They are neither fashion icons nor fashion critics. I want you to wear what you feel comfortable in, if that means a dress, choose a dress. If that means your normal clothes, chose your normal clothes."

Rachel sighs and closes the dresser. "I'll decide tomorrow." She sits down on the bed and rubs her thighs. "Whose idea was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you suggest introducing me to them or did they suggest it?"

"I suggested it; I want them to meet you. We've spent months keeping everything that's happened between us a secret. I don't want to do that anymore. You are not a secret." A knock on the door causes Quinn to furrow her eyebrows. "Are you expecting somebody?"

"Ah yes, I may have forgotten to tell you about that."

"Tell me about what?"

Rachel stands and runs her hands over her clothes, smoothing them. "Santana and Brittany are back from their honeymoon and Brittany called me yesterday, asking if it was alright for them to come over. I said yes so I'm guessing that's them at the door."

"Rachel, I haven't spoken to Santana in a fortnight, I don't even know how she feels about me right now. She could well hate me. She wasn't exactly singing my praises at the wedding and before she went on her honeymoon, our conversations were chaperoned by Brittany. I don't know what to say to her."

Rachel dips down and steals a kiss in an attempt to distract her girlfriend. "I'm sure she probably feels the same way. I doubt either of you need to worry, you've been friends for years, I think you'll find that when you're sat down with her, the words will come."

She leaves the bedroom and heads towards the front door, opening it and greeting her guests with a wide smile. "You both look incredibly refreshed. I can see you caught the sun Brittany."

"Hey Rachel," Brittany says with a smile. "Can we come in?"

"Of course, where are my manners? Come on in." She holds the door open wider and allows the newlyweds to enter the apartment. "Quinn is just in the bedroom, she should be out in a minute. May I offer you a beverage?"

"A beverage?" Santana repeats with a mandatory grimace. "Can't you just say a drink like normal people."

"I'll have an orange juice," Brittany comments, glaring at Santana, silently chastising her for being rude. "Santana will have the same."

"I'll get them," Quinn announces as she appears in the bedroom doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. She walks towards the kitchen and opens the fridge, withdrawing the orange juice and pouring out two glasses. She hands one to Brittany and extends her hand for Santana to accept the juice but the other woman doesn't move.

Brittany nudges Santana and the woman begrudgingly takes the orange juice.

"I would love to see the honeymoon photographs," Rachel announce as she links arms with Brittany. "Why don't we go into the bedroom and you can show me them?"

"What's wrong with the living room?" Santana asks, her eyes never leaving Quinn's.

"Nothing," Rachel answers. "But I believe it's imperative that you and Quinn talk so Brittany and I will leave you to it. Four's a crowd and all that."

"You don't need to leave." Both Quinn and Santana issue the reply at the same time but Brittany and Rachel choose to ignore them and start walking towards Rachel's bedroom.

Quinn clears her throat to break the deathly silence which has coated her and Santana. Not speaking to one another and being uncomfortable in each other's presence is a new experience. They shared their first argument at the tender age of thirteen. It wasn't a big argument; in fact it was petty and stupid. The cause of the argument and the moment it kicked off escape her memory but she can vaguely recall it being over something to do with middle school. Three days and a not so heartfelt apology later on her part, Santana finally started speaking to Quinn again.

That was the only time they stopped speaking to one another.

Until now.

It's been two weeks since they last spoke, if you don't count the times Quinn has heard Santana's voice on her voicemail and now they're finally in the same room again, you can cut the tension with a knife. She can't remember ever being uncomfortable around Santana before but then again there's a first time for everything.

"Do you want to sit down?"

Santana reluctantly does as Quinn asks and takes a seat on the couch, immediately crossing her legs. Quinn hovers for a couple of seconds before deciding against sitting directly beside her and chooses to sit down on Rachel's armchair.

"Do you not have anything stronger than orange juice? Or at least something I can add to this."

"It's barely mid-day."

Santana shrugs. "It's five o'clock somewhere."

"I see you're still in the honeymoon spirit," Quinn jokes before rubbing the back of her neck. "How was the honeymoon?"

Santana raises her head at the atypical question. "Sun, sex and sand basically sums it up."

"I assumed with you two it would have been sex, sex and more sex."

In spite of herself, she releases a slight chuckle. "Brittany wanted to actually venture outside the hotel room during the two weeks we were there. I could have happily stayed inside for fourteen blissful days but apparently you're supposed to explore and do standard touristy things."

"That's Brittany for you. Remember when you surprised her with what was supposed to be a dirty weekend in Rome and you ended up visiting all the local attractions instead, the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain and the Vatican."

"She still owes me a dirty weekend away. I tried taking her to London but once again, she was more interested in seeing the sights. I mean, she wanted to sightsee in Vegas as well. Her reasoning is we have plenty of time when we're at home to have sex, when we're somewhere new, she wants to explore rather than stay cooped up in a hotel room."

"And you still married her."

"What can I say, I love her." Santana glances over her shoulder to see the closed bedroom door. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"Vacation snaps and all the juicy details which come with them probably," Quinn suggests. "Unless of course they're not talking and they're just eavesdropping, waiting for us to talk."

"Well then we better not disappoint them." Santana clears her throat and places the glass of juice on the coffee table, still just as full as it had been when Quinn gave it to her. "Have you spoken to Sophie?"

"Before I answer that question, can I just ask, are you going to keep your hands to yourself or should I prepare myself for another slap?"

Santana places her hands by her side. "You're safe."

"In that case, yes I have spoken to her but it's not really helped," Quinn tells her. "Do you want the long version or the short version?"

"I just want you to tell me what happened."

Quinn ducks her head before swallowing a bob in her throat. "Well, for starters, she called Alison."

"What?"

"Rachel and I were about to go out and suddenly Alison is standing in my living room, as bold and brass as she was when we were sixteen," Quinn tells her.

"Did anything happen?"

"Of course nothing happened," Quinn spits harshly. "I wouldn't do that to Rachel but it's good to know how much faith you have in me."

"Are you seriously going to question the faith I have in you when we're sitting here talking about how your friendship with Sophie is destroyed because you slept with her girlfriend."

Quinn tilts her head. "Fair enough. Although I must say, I'm not entirely sure why you and Sophie presumed I'd kiss or sleep with Alison. She broke my heart; I was never going to just jump back into bed with her, even if Rachel wasn't in the picture."

"I guess it's because of your track record."

"The one charm of the past is that it is the past," Quinn whispers. "I guess Oscar Wilde was wrong because my past is a constant anchor in my life."

Santana's tongue darts out to lick her lips. "I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming. I knew Sophie had the potential to do something stupid but I would never have guessed she'd want anything to do with Alison."

"She doesn't, she just used her. She wanted me to cheat on Rachel. Needless to say, it backfired on her."

"Other than the massive curve ball which was Alison, what else has happened?"

Quinn puffs out a breath. "She still hates me, that much is completely clear. She says she needs time to hate me without me trying to suffocate her with apologies and remorse. I don't know if you've spoken to her…"

"Not yet. I called her but she didn't answer. I can't say I blame her; I didn't answer her calls when I was on honeymoon. Brittany and I are going to go round to her apartment after we leave her."

"She's not there," Quinn informs her friend. "She's staying with her parents for a while. She wanted to get away from everything. I don't think she'll ever forgive me Santana."

"Well you have slept with the woman she loves," Santana comments quietly. "Twice, I may add."

"God Santana, you don't need to tell me that. I know what I've done and I know I'm a horrible person."

"You're not a horrible person."

"Do you hate me Santana?" Quinn questions, her voice broken and barely louder than a whisper. "I know you said you'll always be there for me but do you hate me?"

"I hate what you did but I don't hate you. I told you that in Vegas."

Quinn hums softly. "A lot has changed since Vegas, for all I knew, your answer could have as well."

"Well it hasn't." Santana blinks quickly. "You know, when she broke up with Alison, Sophie cried on my shoulder. I was the person she could turn to. I was there for her when she needed me, when she wanted me to be there. This time, she doesn't want me anywhere near her. I'm worried about her Quinn. She's had her heart ripped out and stomped on by her best friend and her girlfriend. I need to know she's okay. You have Rachel, Sophie doesn't have anybody."

"That's not true. Even if she doesn't want to accept it right now, she has you, Brittany and eventually Rachel."

"What?"

"Sophie's a forgiving person, to a fault sometimes. She wouldn't have forgiven me all those years ago if she was the type of person who holds grudges. At some point in the future, she's going to forgive Rachel. She may be devastated at the minute but soon enough, she'll let you back into her life and she'll let Rachel back as well."

"What about you?"

"I'll always be on the outside looking in."

"You don't know that for sure," Santana says softly, even though she's confident that Quinn is right. She can't foresee Sophie forgiving Quinn.

"Come on Santana, it's not like you to offer false hope. What do you think is going to happen? Don't worry about hurting my feelings, tell me the truth."

"Honestly, I think you're right. I can't see your friendship ever being repaired. I know it must be hard to hear but…"

"It's the truth. I know it is. I can give her all the time in the world but it'll be futile. She's not going to want anything more to do with me."

Santana contemplates wrapping her arm around her friend but she finds herself frozen to the spot. "I'm sorry."

Quinn smiles sadly. "Don't be. After all, it's my fault."

"Brittany tells me you and Rachel have been spending a lot of time together, I take it your relationship with her is working out," Santana says, deciding it might be best to divert the topic away from Sophie for the time being.

Her friend's features brighten ever so slightly at the change in topic. "Yeah, it is. It's going really well actually, in spite of everything."

"I don't know if I trust her."

"Why not?"

Santana rolls her eyes. "She cheated on her girlfriend, she could do it again."

"She wouldn't do that."

"Are you a hundred per cent sure about that? Look Q, you will always be my best friend and I know that when you fall in love, you wear your heart on your sleeve. I don't want her to hurt you. I can't deal with another problem in this friendship group."

"I trust her Santana."

Santana is prepared to argue but she manages to bites her tongue. "Fine, that's all I needed to hear."

"Is it safe to come out?" Brittany shouts from the bedroom. "You haven't killed each other have you?"

"No blood has been spilled this night," Quinn replies with a slight laugh. "You can stop eavesdropping on us now."

Brittany and Rachel emerge from the bedroom, looking sheepish. "We weren't eavesdropping," Rachel corrects. "We were just patiently waiting for the screams."

Both women walk across the living room and sit down, Brittany sitting close to Santana, their legs pressed together while Rachel opts to sit on the side of the armchair.

"Are you okay?" Rachel questions gently.

"Of course she is, what did you think I was going to do to her?" Santana questions, her voice slightly harsh. "I'm not some monster."

Rachel turns to face Santana. "I didn't mean is she okay in the physical sense, I meant is she okay in general because in case it's escaped your notice, things are pretty rough right now."

"Trust me, it hasn't escaped my notice."

Quinn's eyes close subconsciously. "I'll be okay, I don't have a choice. What's done is done. There's no point in dwelling on everything any longer. We can't change what has happened. The truth is, I have always known what would happen if I…if things escalated between the two of us and it didn't stop me from chasing you, from wanting you. At the end of the day, I have nobody to blame but myself for the predicament I'm in right now."

Quinn turns off the engine and unbuckles her seatbelt as she stares out of the window at her family home. She can feel the nerves bubbling up inside and suddenly she feels like the sixteen year old version of herself. She can remember how nervous she felt when she took Alison home to introduce her parents, scared they wouldn't like her.

"Okay, deep breaths, everything is going to be fine."

Rachel reaches across the car and grasps Quinn's hand. "Quinn, I'm not nervous about meeting your parents. I don't exactly know what it is about my personality but most parents seem to like me. I think I must give off a vibe which causes them to like me. I don't want to sound too arrogant but I do believe there are significantly worse people you could bring home to meet your parents than me. A serial killer immediately springs to mind."

"Did you just compare yourself to a serial killer?"

"It's hardly a comparison, I'd win every day."

Quinn chuckles heartily. "When I said everything is going to be fine, I wasn't talking to you Rachel. I was talking to myself."

"Okay, now that worries me slightly," Rachel confesses. "If you start to panic, the likelihood that I will start to worry grows somewhat. Your parents aren't some horrible entities that are going to despise me and wish you were dating somebody else are they?"

"No, of course not and they're not going to hate you. They'll love you, I've told you that."

"If that's the case, why are you nervous?"

"I'm not nervous."

Rachel tilts her head to the side. "Your hands are shaking."

Quinn glances down at her hands and forces them to stay still. "You're only the second girl I've brought home to meet my parents so I suppose I am a little nervous because it's such a new experience. I've been telling my mom about this anonymous girl I was falling for so she's been angling for months to know who you were. I think she may have a heart attack when you finally meet. You mean everything to me; I want things to go perfectly." She clears her throat. "Besides, there's something I may have forgotten to tell you."

"Colour me intrigued, what is it?"

"At the wedding, my mom finally put two and two together and found out the girl I loved was you. She wasn't exactly pleased that out of everybody, you were the person I wanted to be with. She didn't want me to ruin my friendship with Sophie by sleeping with her girlfriend."

Rachel releases her girlfriend's hand and leans back in the seat. "So she doesn't think very highly of me and I haven't even met her yet."

"I didn't want to worry you. I'm nervous as you've pointed out so I needed you to be the calm and collected one." Quinn pinches the bridge of her nose. "Your dad doesn't like me; at least it's something we have in common."

"My dad doesn't dislike you," Rachel corrects. "He's just not exactly your number one fan. You'll win him around; you're rather charming when you want to be."

"You'll win my mom around. I know it's usually dads who are protective of their daughters but it's always been my mother who looks out for me more. She's worried you'll hurt me because you cheated on your girlfriend. I think she believes in the philosophy 'once a cheater, always a cheater'."

"You could have forewarned me about the fact that your mom dislikes how I cheated on my girlfriend," Rachel comments. "All the preparation I have done for this meeting has now been undone. How about we go back to my apartment and reschedule this meet and greet for another day so I can have an adequate amount of time to prepare?"

"Now who's nervous?" Quinn teases.

Rachel rolls her eyes. "Can you blame me?"

Quinn opens her car door and steps outside before leaning against the roof of the car. "Are you going to hide in the car or come with me?"

"I do not hide from anything."

Quinn closes the door before walking around to Rachel's side and opening the passenger door. "Come on them beautiful, the sooner we go inside, the sooner this is all over."

Rachel climbs out of the car, closing the door behind her and linking Quinn's arm. She decided to take Quinn's advice and wear clothes she felt comfortable in. Quinn locks the car and starts walking up the path towards the front door. She opens the front door and steps inside but Rachel stills her instantly.

"Shouldn't you knock?"

"It's my parent's house and they're expecting me. I think I'm allowed to just walk in."

"Of course, how silly of me." Rachel follows Quinn into the family home and inhales heavily to calm herself. If Quinn hadn't opened her mouth, Rachel would have remained cool and collected.

"Mom, Dad?" Quinn shouts as she leads Rachel through the house.

"Auntie Quinn!" Lily comes bounding down the stairs and Quinn has to laugh at how the young girl has clearly ignored her mother's warning to not run down stairs. She can already hear Frannie's scolding in her head. She runs straight into Quinn's arms and the woman lifts her up.

"How is my favourite niece doing?"

Lily giggles. "I'm your only niece."

Quinn squeezes her eyes shut. "Of course you are, how foolish of me." She turns to face Rachel. "I highly doubt I need to reintroduce you to Rachel."

Lily shakes her head emphatically and the second Quinn places her back on the floor, she's in Rachel's arms.

"Lily, why don't you give Rachel a tour of the house?"

"Can I show her my drawings first?"

Rachel nods slowly. "I would love to see your drawings. Maybe you could draw a portrait of me."

"See you've already won her over and to be honest, she's the head of this household. If she likes you, you're golden," she whispers into her girlfriend's ear, causing Rachel to smile shyly.

"Right Lily, where are these drawings? Do you have a gallery?"

Lily chuckles. "They're in my bedroom."

Rachel places Lily on the ground and the young girl immediately takes Rachel's hand. "Come on, we have to go upstairs."

Quinn pecks Rachel on the cheek. "I'm going to find my parents, have fun."

She heads through the house, bypassing Frannie looking sufficiently stressed as she stands by the oven. She throws a quick hello over her shoulder but her sister doesn't reply. Deciding not to bother her, Quinn continues until she reaches the back yard. She spies her father standing topless in front of the ancient barbeque they've had for as long as Quinn can remember and her mother lying one of the sun loungers.

"I know its April but it's nowhere near hot enough to see your bare torso dad. Actually, scratch that, it's never hot enough for me to see that. Can you please put on a shirt before I bring Rachel out? I don't want her to be scarred for life and believe me; you have the ability to do that dad."

Russell scoffs before reaching for his shirt and shrugging it on. "I only took it off because it's dirty. Your mother told me to change my shirt but then asked me to try and fix the barbeque and I can only do one thing at a time. Unlike your mother, I can't multitask."

Quinn shakes her head when she sees how dirty the shirt is. "You can't wear that dad; it looks like you've murdered somebody."

"Make up your mind Quinn, first you wanted me to wear the shirt and now you want it to take me off." Russell looks down at the ketchup stained shirt with a smirk. "I can explain this. Your mother and I may have engaged in some outlandish behaviour earlier."

"I wish you hadn't told me that," Quinn spits, squeezing her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to rid herself of the image which will undoubtedly be etched into her mind forever. "Just change dad. Mom, do you mind taking a couple of minutes out of your busy schedule to come inside."

Her mother removes her sunglasses before standing. "Anybody would think you're uneasy about us meeting your new girlfriend. You're not are you?"

"I'm anxious you'll scare her off so for the time being can you please try and be normal?"

"Normal is our middle name," Judy tells her. "Now, where is this infamous Rachel then? I am quite looking forward to talking to her."

"She's inside; Lily is showing off her drawings." When Judy and Russell both start walking towards the back door of the house, Quinn stops them. "Just a gentle warning, don't interrogate her, don't ask her uncomfortable questions and Mom, if you dare bring the photograph album out, I will never forgive you."

"Quinn, you were an adorable baby," Rachel coos as she looks at the photographs of Quinn, ranging from her as a baby to her on her graduation. "You were certainly a messy baby. It's almost as if you sought it as a challenge to cover every part of your body in food except for your mouth."

Quinn pinches the bridge of her nose and contemplates whether it is actually possible to die from embarrassment. If her mother ever wanted to murder somebody, she wouldn't need a gun or poison, she could shame them to death. She's been embarrassing Quinn since she was a child. It's her mother's favourite past time.

"I see you were a tomboy growing up."

Intrigued, Quinn glances at the photograph Rachel is pointing to. "It was my tenth birthday party and I wanted a costume party. Most girls came as princesses but I decided I wanted to be a pirate. Pirates were scary, princesses weren't."

"I take it you grew out of being a tomboy," Rachel comments absent-mindedly as she traces the photograph of Quinn in, what she presumes, is her prom dress. She looks beautiful.

"Maybe in my choice of clothing, there are only so many times you can wear a pirate outfit."

Rachel grins widely before glancing up to see Quinn's parents watching them with unabashed fascination. She's thankful that Rachel's sister is currently playing with Lily upstairs; at least she doesn't have to face the entire family in one sitting. She keeps hold of the photograph album and silently wishes she doesn't look as uncomfortable as she feels. With Quinn, she's calm and she always feels comfortable. But right now, knowing two people are silently judging her, it unnerves her.

"You've raised a wonderful daughter Mr and Mrs Fabray."

"Well we like her," Russell replies.

Judy nods her head in agreement. "We all know she has her flaws but I do agree with you Rachel, she is a wonderful daughter. If only she could refrain from hitting on unattached women."

Quinn flinches at the response. That's the first firework of the day and undoubtedly, it won't be the last.

"Mom," Quinn warns.

"In Quinn's defence, she didn't know I was in a relationship when we first met. I didn't tell her so I am to blame rather than her. When she found out about Sophie, she backed off. I made the first move." Rachel tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "I kissed her first Mrs Fabray."

"So what you're leading me to understand is that you willingly cheated on your girlfriend?"

Rachel ducks her head nervously at the question. "Quinn didn't force me to do anything if that's what you're suggesting. Everything which has happened between the two of us has been consensual."

"I didn't assume Quinn forced herself on you, my Quinnie may be a lot of things but forceful isn't one of them," Judy replies as Quinn crinkles her nose up in disgust at the nickname. "When I used the word willingly, I meant you decided to pursue Quinn even though you knew you shouldn't."

"Yes, that's right."

"Why?"

"I fell in love with your daughter."

"If I'm correct in my understanding, you slept with Quinn before you even knew her. You had a one-night stand with her. Am I to believe it was love at first sight?"

Rachel rubs her hands together anxiously and glances at Quinn for some help but Quinn remains silent. When she first met Sophie's parents, they did appear to fall in love with her right away but understandably, Quinn's parents are more hesitant. At least Rachel now understands how Quinn has felt when she's been interrogated by Rachel's dad and Kurt.

It's certainly not a pleasant feeling.

"I certainly believe that love at first sight exists, I fell in love with Quinn's father the moment I laid eyes on him. Didn't I Russell?"

She nudges her husband and he clears his throat. "Love at first sight, absolutely."

Rachel smiles shyly. "I can only speak for myself and not Quinn but for me, it wasn't love at first sight. That being said, I certainly felt something which I had never felt before. When I met Quinn, I knew there was something different about her. Over time, that something grew stronger and became love. I wouldn't have cheated on my girlfriend and broken her heart on a whim Mr and Mrs Fabray."

"You have to understand that I have a few concerns. I know Quinn isn't one for relationships but when she finds somebody special enough to date, she puts her entire heart on the line. Since you cheated on Sophie, I have to worry you're capable of doing the same thing to Quinn. I've already seen her heartbroken once, I don't want to see it again."

Quinn tilts her head with interest; clearly her mother and Santana have the same impression of Rachel.

"I don't plan on cheating on your daughter."

"I should hope not but surely you said the same thing about Sophie and look what happened."

"Mom, stop it," Quinn interjects. "We all make mistakes; you can't judge somebody based on the mistakes they've made, I should know, I'm constantly judged on my past mistakes."

"Quinn, it's fine," Rachel comments. "Obviously your mother has a right to have these concerns."

"No it's not fine," Quinn tells her. "You can't snidely infer that she'll cheat on me in the future. I love Rachel mom, I trust her when she says she doesn't plan on cheating on me. Before you ask, I don't see myself straying either. Just in case you were worried."

"I'm not worried you'll stray Quinn, despite your love of sleeping around, when in a relationship, I know you're as faithful as can be. As for these questions, I'm just trying to look out for you.

Quinn bobs her head. "I know you are but I'm not a little girl anymore mom, I can look after myself."

Judy raises her hands in surrender. "May I ask you one final question?"

"Oh now you ask rather than just firing the question out," Quinn mutters under her breath.

"Actually this question isn't specifically for Rachel. It's for both of you." Quinn raises her head at the reply and waits for the question. "What are you going to do now with regards to Sophie?"

"I hope that when she returns from her parent's house, we'll be able to have a civil conversation and try and reach an agreement into the part we're going to play in each other's lives," Rachel begins. "I don't want to lose her from my life but I am aware that is a possibility. I'm going to try my hardest to ensure we maintain some form of friendship, even if it's only sending a Christmas card once a year."

"I have to say that's admirable if a tad naive. What about you Quinn?"

There are only so many times she can answer this question without crying. "I'm going to do what she wants and give her space and then I don't know. I'm glad that Rachel wants to try and keep a friendship alive but I'm not under any illusion that Sophie and I will remain friends," Quinn tells her mother.

Judy opens her mouth to speak but Russell beats her to it. "How about we end this interrogation and do something else. Anything else."

Judy checks the clock. "I should actually start preparing dinner. Frannie has attempted to make dessert but cooking has never been one of her best attributes so I'd like to make sure the main course is delicious, even if the dessert is…" She pauses, searching for the right word. "Questionable. Rachel, would you care to help me? It will give me a chance to learn more about you. No interrogation, I promise."

Rachel's tongue darts out to lick her lips and tosses a fleeting glance towards Quinn who smiles. "Of course I'll help. I'd be happy to."

"Mom, you do know Rachel's vegan right, you have catered for that haven't you?"

Eager to have Quinn's parents like her, Rachel shakes her head. "I don't want to cause you extra bother."

Judy shakes her head. "Of course I've catered for her veganism; I wouldn't make her eat something she didn't want. Honestly Quinn, what kind of mother do you think I am?"

He picks up the photo frame which rests on his bedside table. It's a photo of him and her and he can still remember the day it was taken as if it was yesterday. She was five years old and smiling proudly towards the camera. His sister had just married her childhood sweetheart and years of dating and his daughter had been chosen as a bridesmaid and had spent weeks preparing for the day, as if it was her special day. He laughs slightly at the memory because he can't envision his daughter doing that nowadays, not even for her own wedding. After the ceremony, he asked her if he could have a picture with her because she was the prettiest girl at the wedding and when she beamed and clambered into his arms, he knew the photograph would be something he always treasured.

Nearly twenty years later and the photograph has never left his bedside table.

It would be one of the first things he grabbed if the house was on fire.

He leaves his bedroom, carrying the photograph under his arm and walks towards Quinn's old bedroom, knocking first. He learned the hard way to always knock on his daughter's door rather than walk in. He'll never be able to remove the image of her and Alison from his mind. When his daughter grants him entry, he opens the door, closing it over behind him.

"Hiding away in your bedroom isn't like you."

"I just needed a minute; everything's pretty full on downstairs. Plus, I'm trying to get over my mortification at mom," Quinn tells him. "Could she be any more embarrassing?"

Russell sits beside Quinn on the bed. "If I could offer you some advice, I'd never ask her that question. She'll only see it as a personal challenge."

A short laugh escapes Quinn's lips as her eyes fall to the photograph her dad is holding. "I hope when I get married, I have a bridesmaid that will steal everybody's hearts."

"Well if you get married within the next couple of years, it could be Lily," Russell replies. "She'll definitely steal the attention away from you."

Quinn doesn't attempt to argue with him because she knows he's correct. It only took mere seconds for Rachel to fall in love with Lily. Lily just appears to have a certain power over everybody.

"What are you doing up here? I thought you were going to watch the football game while mom and Rachel made dinner."

"You disappeared rather quickly after your mother asked Rachel to help make dinner; I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Quinn frowns at her father. "Did mom send you up here to check on me?"

Her father tilts her head to the side before shaking his head. "Rachel actually asked me if you were okay. She was going to come up here herself but I volunteered instead."

"I'm fine dad, it's just…I want you both to love Rachel as much as I do. The whole day is a little overwhelming. Meeting the parents, it's…it's a serious step. Months ago, Rachel and I were this sordid secret and now, everything is real. I've met her dad, now she's met you and mom. It's dreamlike."

"You're not having second thoughts about everything are you?"

"No," Quinn states firmly. "It's just…when I realised who Rachel was; I didn't expect today to be happening. I didn't even bother to entertain the possibility that we could have a future but now it's no longer just a possibility, it's reality."

She's never really been one to discuss her love life with her father. Her parents have always treated her love life in different ways. While her mother has always been nosey and inquisitive, her father doesn't tend to ask any questions. In his opinion, her love life is her business and he does his very best to stay clear of the subject. She knows her mother is disappointed the girl she loves used to date Sophie but she doesn't know how her father feels.

Russell Fabray has always been good at keeping his cards close to his chest.

"Are you disappointed in me?"

"Why would I be disappointed in you?"

Quinn puffs out a breath because her father would need her to spell everything out for him. "I slept with Sophie's girlfriend."

"Yes, that wasn't ideal of you," Russell replies. "You know your mother and I have always embraced Sophie as another daughter but you are our daughter. We're always going to side with you, even when you do the wrong thing. Obviously we would have preferred it if you'd waited for Rachel to be single or at least talked to Sophie but you can't change your past."

"Mom's disappointed."

"She'll get over it." Russell pats his thighs. "You know, your mother has spent the last few months updating me about your love life."

Quinn scoffs lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise my love life had become your pillow talk."

"You're our daughter Quinn, your love life has always been something we talk about. Well, it's something your mother always talks about. We just want you to be happy."

"I am happy."

"I can tell, your eyes light up whenever you look at Rachel. Is she the one?"

"You don't need to do this."

"Do what?"

"Talk to me about Rachel," Quinn clarifies. "After I told you I was gay, you kept asking me which girls I fancied because you wanted to make it clear you were okay with my sexuality. I know you originally wanted me to marry a man and my coming out threw you for a loop. I also understand you're okay with my sexuality and don't be mistaken, I really appreciate it that you and mom are so supportive. You could have kicked me out but you didn't, you were there for me. But dad, we don't need to talk about Rachel. That's mom's area of expertise."

"It might be your mom's area of expertise but I do have my uses you know. I'm not just a silly old man." He falls silent for a second before clearing his throat. "I met your mother through a friend, have I ever told you that?"

Quinn shakes her head even though he has told her the story before, several times, but he always lights up when he tells the story, so as long as he can't remember, Quinn will allow him to tell the story over and over again.

Maybe one day she'll be repeatedly telling her children the story of how she met Rachel.

"It was my best friend, Robert Tyler's, eighteenth birthday and your mother was one of his brother's friends," he tells her. "I know I teased your mother earlier but it really was love at first sight."

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That it was love at first sight."

"I'm not sure I can really explain it but it just felt right. Once I saw her, I knew I didn't want to not see her again. When I told her a ridiculously awful joke, she laughed so much she snorted and in that moment, I just knew she was the person I always wanted to tell my pathetic jokes to."

"I feel that way about Rachel."

Russell smiles softly. "She seems like a lovely girl, extremely well-mannered and friendly. I think she'll be good for you Quinn. I think she's the type of girl you need in your life. I have to admit, so far, I prefer her to Alison."

Quinn smiles softly. "What does mom think?"

"Your mother just wants you to be happy."

"That's not an answer."

Russell sighs lightly. "She cares about you Quinn; she doesn't want you to end up heartbroken again. She does like Rachel; she wouldn't be trying to embarrass you as much if she didn't. She just wishes you hadn't met her under the circumstances in which you did."

"So do I." A knock at the door interrupts their conversation. "I think her ears must have been burning."

When she shouts come in, Rachel cracks open the door gently and peers inside the bedroom. "Am I interrupting?"

"No, we're finished."

"Mr Fabray, your wife's asking for you."

Russell bobs his head. "Quinn, will you do me a favour?"

"Anything."

"Humour your mother and her ways," he asks. "She's been waiting a long time for you to bring somebody home. She was starting to believe it wasn't going to happen again. Besides, it's her job to embarrass you." The corner of Quinn's mouth curls upwards. "I best go see what Judy wants; no doubt I've done something wrong."

When Russell brushes past Rachel, Rachel steps further inside the room, glancing surreptitiously at the four walls. "So this is your old bedroom. It's…it's not what I was expecting. It's surprisingly ordinary."

"Ordinary?" Quinn says with a laugh. "What does that mean?"

"I imaged it to be dark and filled with posters, possibly of either naked women or gothic design."

"Did you imagine me to be a punk or something?"

"Maybe a little bit." Rachel walks over to Quinn and sits beside her, occupying the space Russell had just been occupying.

"What do you think?" Rachel asks as she hands the piece of paper over to Quinn. "I think Lily could have a future as an artist. She really has captivated my likeness."

Quinn observes the drawing and laughs deeply. "I didn't realise you had blue hair. Obviously I need to start paying you more attention."

"Apparently she thinks I'd suit blue hair."

"The first time she drew me, she gave me a nose the size of Earth," Quinn says quietly, subconsciously touching her nose. "She said that was how she saw me. It's actually incredibly mystifying to think about what she must see when she looks at us."

Rachel chuckles lightly. "I don't want to speak too soon but I think this afternoon has been rather successful. Do you?"

"Yeah it has, my parents have given you the Fabray seal of approval," Quinn tells her. "Well, my dad has, I think you'll have to wait until Clue to receive my mother's."

"Actually I do believe your mother and I made some headway when we were preparing dinner. She asked me a plethora of mundane questions like my favourite movie and my star sign before progressing to more personal questions but by the end, she smiled at me and said I could cease with the Mrs Fabray and call her Judy. That's a good sign right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Rachel, I've told you, you don't need to ask me that. You can ask me anything you want."

"Did you mean what you said the other day and just then to your mother? About accepting your friendship with Sophie is over."

Quinn inhales sharply. "Yes I did. Our last conversation…there was an overwhelming sense of finality to it. Maybe by some miracle, we'll be civil to each other but she doesn't want me in her life. For once, I'm going to respect her wishes." She rubs the back of her neck. "Do you think we could take the topic of Sophie off the table for the time being?"

"You do realise she'll always be a main topic of conversation for us. I mean, weirdly enough, she's like the third person in this relationship."

"I know," Quinn interjects hurriedly. "But right now…"

"Right now, we don't have to talk about her," Rachel concludes.

"Thank you."

"Did you ever imagine that we'd be meeting each other's parents after the circumstances in which we met?" Rachel asks slowly. "If I'm being honest, I never expected you to become anything more than a one-night stand."

"Me neither."

"It's remarkable how life can lead you in a completely different direction to what you originally imagined."

Quinn entwines her fingers with Rachel's. "You know, even though us being together has caused problems and ruined my friendship and your relationship, I wouldn't change what's happened between us."

"Neither would I."

"So," Quinn begins. "What's next?"

"What do you mean?"

Quinn ducks her head, somewhat nervously. "We've probably already faced more problems than most couples do upon first meeting and we've already met the parents. What do we do next?"

Rachel kisses Quinn lightly. "Why don't we stop asking questions and just see what happens?"

"What if we don't like what happens?"

"You know, one thing I've learned these past seven months is that you never know what is going to happen so worrying about the future can be frivolous. Let's just enjoy right now. We've spent months worrying about what will happen next and I don't know about you but I'm sick of worrying. I just want to be with you Quinn. For the time being, can't we just do that? Can't we just be together?"

"Yeah." Quinn smiles genuinely and for the first time in months, she feels relaxed. "We can."

A/N 2:

Guest - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm guessing both guest comments were the same person so I'll reply to them at the same time. If I'm wrong, I apologise. You seem to have some serious distain for Rachel, can I ask why that is? For this story, I think Rachel is somebody you'd throw a friendship away for because she's the one for Quinn. Obviously I appreciate every opinion, just curious why you dislike Rachel so much. Is it Rachel in this story or Rachel in general?

Guest 2 - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you, I'm glad you loved it!

Nadine - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much; I'm really pleased to hear you love this story. I do try to be unpredictable; I think a story is boring if you can tell what is going to happen all the time. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and you'll enjoy the epilogue.

Polux - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Another new chapter and this time only a week apart, I think that might be a record for me :P Thank you! You're welcome; it's always been my pleasure to share my writing. I could write every day. Till next time.

Guest - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Firstly, I'm glad you like this fic. Secondly, I can understand why you feel like that, they are being selfish but it's just because they both want the best of both worlds. They want the relationship and the friendship. Obviously that can't happen but it doesn't stop them wanting it.

Guest - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Can I ask why that is? I don't understand why Sophie would be so hated if the focus was Rachel and Santana.