It's taken a bit, but here's part three...

There's Nothing I Want More

"Are you even lifting the damn thing?" Santana asked, muffled slightly by the couch pressed against her face.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "No, this side is levitating."

"Because it feels like I'm doing all the work!" Santana said, slapping her hand against the back of the couch.

"You might want to turn it a little to the right," Brittany said from the top of the steps.

"We can't turn, B," Santana replied, her voice softening.

Quinn sighed as she rested her forehead against the couch. She was sweating and her muscles hurt from holding up the heavy couch. She really just wanted to get the couch into the apartment, but that was proving to be much more difficult than any of them had anticipated.

"I should have paid for delivery," Quinn stated for the third time since they began the trek up the stairs. "I never should have listened to you!"

"Quit bitching," Santana replied.

"Me?" Quinn incredulously asked.

"I think you're going to have to lift it higher," Brittany said.

Quinn and Santana both groaned but lifted the couch higher. It wasn't easy, but they finally got it above the stair railing and walked a few more steps up before dropping it back down. With every step, Quinn regretted not letting the guys from the store deliver it and carry it up to the apartment. Santana had seemed to take it as a personal insult, though, and ranted at them about how women were just as capable as men. While Quinn agreed, she was also perfectly fine letting them deliver the couch. It was their job, after all, and it would have saved them from their current situation.

"Can I help?" Brittany asked.

"You are helping," Santana replied.

"I know, but I could help lift it," Brittany said.

"We're—"

"Let Brittany help," Quinn interrupted.

She didn't have to look at Santana to know she was rolling her eyes. A few moments later, though, the other end lifted higher and Quinn was pulled forward. She stumbled slightly when the toe of her shoe hit the step, but she quickly regained her footing and managed to carry it up the rest of the way. When they finally hit the landing, Quinn put her end on the floor for a much deserved rest. Santana and Brittany did the same, and then they all walked around to the front of the couch and sat down at the same time.

"You're going to owe us after this," Santana stated, picking something off her pants.

"Actually, I helped you move into your apartment, so I think we're even," Quinn replied.

"But we also helped you flee your and Sam's apartment," Santana said.

"Yes, but you and Brittany have twice as much stuff as I do," Quinn replied.

"She has a point, San," Brittany chimed in. "We do have a lot of stuff."

Quinn smirked knowing Santana wouldn't argue with Brittany. Predictably, Santana didn't say anything else, but she did cross her arms over her chest, and Quinn knew it was her friend's way of saying she still thought she was right.

"Okay, let's move it into the apartment," Brittany said, standing up.

Quinn really didn't like the thought of moving, but she would like to get the couch into her apartment at some point. There were still quite a few boxes left to move as well and it was already far past when she hoped to be finished. It wasn't surprising, though; Santana was always hard to get moving early in the morning, so they'd gotten a late start.

"Five more minutes," Santana said, turning, and putting her feet up on the arm of the couch.

"Can you not do that?" Quinn asked.

"My feet hurt," Santana replied, making no effort to move.

"I don't care how much your feet hurt," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "Get your dirty shoes off my new couch."

"I'm going to go bring up some boxes," Brittany said, ignoring their bickering.

"You have too much shit," Santana stated.

"I don't have that much stuff," Quinn argued. "Shouldn't you just be happy that I'm moving?"

"I'd be happier if I didn't have to carry all your shit up two flights of stairs," Santana grumbled.

The blonde shook her head; Santana had been extra grumpy since Quinn had gotten back from London. She figured it was because Santana had been reminded of what it was like to just have her and Brittany in the apartment while Quinn was gone. Or maybe she was just being Santana. It wouldn't be the first time she'd been in a bad mood for no reason and it wouldn't be the last. Quinn was just happy she finally had her own apartment again and that she could have a little time to herself without worrying about being in her friends' way.

"Come on," Quinn said, standing. "Let's move this."

"Five more minutes," Santana replied.

"You said that several minutes ago," Quinn stated.

"Which means I still have several left," Santana argued.

"I want to get it out of the hallway before one of my new neighbors come out and find it blocked," Quinn said. "I'd rather them not hate me before I've even spent a night here."

"They can't walk around?" Santana asked.

Quinn took a deep breath and reminded herself for the third time that day not to hit Santana. "At least get up so I can push it the rest of the way."

"What if I don't—"

"Can someone take the top box?" Brittany asked, interrupting Santana. "I can't really see."

Santana immediately jumped up and walked over to her girlfriend, taking one of the three boxes she was carrying. Quinn wanted to comment on how whipped Santana was, but she didn't want the other woman to throw the box at her head, so she remained quiet. Plus, it had actually gotten Santana up from the couch.

"I'll help with the couch in a second," Brittany said as she walked by.

"It's okay," Quinn said, grabbing the edge of the couch. "I think I can push it now that Santana's not sitting on it."

As Rachel strolled down the familiar path, she stopped every now and then to snap a picture. She knew she probably had plenty already, but that didn't stop her from taking a few more. She would be leaving London in just a few days, and she didn't want to forget any detail. She knew it would inevitably happen, though, which is why she was documenting it the best she could. She wanted to be able to look back at her pictures and feel as if she was there again.

She was excited that she would be going home on Saturday, but at the same time, a part of her didn't want to leave. She'd really grown to love London and she was really going to miss it when she was back in New York City. Plus, there were still so many things she would like to see—museums she hadn't yet gone to, other museums that she wasn't able to fully explore, cities she would like to visit, West End shows she hadn't gotten a chance to see yet—and there was no way she would get to them in such a short amount of time.

Everyone around her was in such a hurry, but Rachel was walking at a leisurely pace. She had two shows that day, but she'd gotten up

extra early, not wanting to waste any of her time. She still had hours before she needed to be at the theater, so she thought she would walk around Kensington Gardens one last time. It was probably her favorite place in London; not only because it was beautiful, but because she couldn't help thinking of Quinn when she was there.

Every time she passed by the place where Quinn first kissed her, her heart seemed to skip a beat. And she usually walked past the spot at least once a week. She missed Quinn more than she liked to admit. Rachel liked to think of herself as a fairly independent person, but she wished Quinn was still there. Seeing everything the city had to offer was much more fun with the blonde by her side. And then there was the fact that she'd found herself falling in love with Quinn.

She didn't even know when it began happening, but somewhere along the way her crush had turned into something more. It was the last thing she'd been expecting; she certainly wasn't looking to become involved with anyone when she was only going to be there a short time. At most, she thought she may find someone to spend her time with and then they would say their goodbyes, never seeing each other again. Falling in love definitely wasn't part of her plan.

It had been a month since she said goodbye to Quinn at the airport, but it felt like much longer. Even though they hadn't known each other that long, she had gotten so used to Quinn being there and being able to talk to her. Since she left, though, Rachel had only heard from her a few times. One of them was to let her know she'd made it back home safely and recently she'd sent another saying she'd finally found an apartment. There were so many times Rachel wanted to send Quinn an email to tell her about the things she'd done or seen, but she was trying to follow Quinn's lead. She didn't want to seem overeager or too needy, so she was trying her best not to bombard Quinn with emails. She knew she was busy at work after being off for a month and that she was probably trying to get settled in her new apartment, and Rachel was trying to not panic too much at the lack of communication.

It was hard not to worry, though. She didn't really know where she and Quinn stood; they had been on a date, so Quinn clearly liked her, but what did that mean? Quinn lived in Ohio and Rachel lived in New York City. Realistically, Rachel knew it would be hard to maintain any sort of relationship when they were so far apart. It would be different if they'd been together for a while before trying a long distance relationship, but that wasn't the case, and it worried Rachel.

Not only did she worry about the distance, but she was also worried what it would be like when they finally saw each other again. She wondered if things would be weird between them or if they could pick up right where they left off. She knew Quinn had struggled with her feelings, and part of Rachel wondered if Quinn would tell her it was all a mistake. That she couldn't do it and they would be better off as friends. The thought alone was enough to make Rachel's stomach feel like it was being tied into knots. She didn't know what she'd do if the words actually came out of Quinn's mouth.

With a sigh, Rachel continued walking down the path. She guessed all her questions would be answered soon enough. Her final show was in just two days, two days after that she would be back in New York, and then a few days later she would be in Ohio.

She just hoped Quinn would be happy to see her.

Quinn closed the door to her car and squared her shoulders as she began walking towards Breadstix. Even though she was early, she wasn't at all surprised that her mother's car was already there. She didn't know why her mother wanted to see her, but she had a feeling she was once again going to try to convince her to give Sam another chance. It was what she did every time they spoke, and Quinn was really getting tired of telling her it wasn't going to happen.

When she walked into the restaurant, she looked toward where her mother usually requested they be seated. Sure enough, she was seated at their usual table, and Quinn began walking over. As she weaved her way between the tables, her mother looked up and gave her a smile. Quinn returned it, but inside, she was preparing herself. It was almost like a battle every time they spoke, and she was making sure her defenses were up. She didn't want to risk saying something she was going to regret, but she also wasn't going to give in anymore just because it would make her parents happy.

"Hello, Dear," Judy said, standing as Quinn approached.

"Hi, Mom," Quinn said as Judy gave her a light hug.

"You look different," Judy said, pulling away, and studying Quinn. "Did you do something to your hair."

"No," Quinn answered.

"Have you been going to the gym?" Judy asked.

Quinn tried not to roll her eyes as she said, "No. I haven't had the time."

"Oh," Judy said as she sat back down. "Maybe you could find the time to go this weekend. You know how important a healthy lifestyle is."

This time, Quinn did roll her eyes. It was the second time since she came back from London that her mother made a not so subtle comment about her weight. She practically had to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything. She really didn't want to get into it there; they were in public and she just wanted to quickly get lunch over with so she could get back to work.

"How's Dad?" Quinn asked, trying to change the subject.

"He's fine," Judy replied. "He ran into Sam yesterday."

"Are you waiting on anyone else?" a waitress asked, and Quinn was never more thankful for an interruption.

"No, this is everyone," Judy answered.

"Can I get you started with a drink?" the waitress asked.

"I'll have a water," Quinn said.

"A glass of your best white wine," Judy answered before turning back to Quinn. "As I was saying, your father ran into Sam at the hardware store."

Quinn sighed. "Why are you telling me?"

"I just thought you may want to know how he's doing," Judy said with a light shrug.

"Well, I don't," Quinn firmly replied.

"Quinnie," Judy said, tilting her head. "I know you're angry with him for what he did—"

"You mean sleeping with someone else?" Quinn interrupted.

"That's no reason to do anything hasty," Judy said. "You shouldn't end an engagement just because you hit a rough patch."

"Can we stop talking about Sam?" Quinn asked.

"I just don't understand why you won't give him a second chance," Judy said, shaking her head.

"You don't have to understand," Quinn replied.

"There's no need to be rude," Judy chastised.

Quinn tried not to roll her eyes again. "Sam and I are not getting back together, and nothing is going to change that. Sam and I are over. You and Dad need to accept that."

"Does this mean there's someone else in your life?" Judy asked. "Is that why you won't forgive Sam? Is there another boy?"

"No." Quinn tried not to blush when her mind instantly jumped to Rachel. "There's no other boy."

"Oh, that's too bad," Judy replied.

The only two people who knew anything had happened between her and Rachel were Brittany and Santana. She wasn't even going to tell them, but as soon as Brittany saw her when picking her up at the airport, she seemed to instantly know, and it was hard to lie to Brittany. So, she told them the truth even though she knew Santana would gloat for weeks. Even if she hadn't told her friends, she was fairly certain her face gave her away the moment the words 'you kissed Rachel' were out of Brittany's mouth.

While Santana was smug about it, Brittany was just really happy and wanted to know what she was going to do now, but Quinn didn't have an answer for her. Right now, Rachel was an ocean away, but even when she came back, they would still be hundreds of miles from each other. She liked Rachel, and the brunette had stirred something in her that she hadn't felt in a long time—never, really—but Rachel was in New York and she was in Lima. They had entirely different lives and she couldn't see that changing.

"Are you sure there's no boy?" Judy asked.

Quinn looked up. "I'm sure."

"Then who were you—" Judy gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Never mind. If you're really serious about never forgiving Sam, maybe you'll find another nice boy soon. One that isn't into those silly comic books and doesn't have toys lying around the house."

"Collectibles," Quinn found herself automatically correcting.

"I have to say, I never thought he was quite good enough for you," Judy stated. "I always thought you could do better. You know, find someone a little more mature. I mean, he was a nice boy and you would have had beautiful kids, but he had the hobbies of a fourteen year old."

"Then why push me to forgive him?" Quinn asked.

"Oh, you know," Judy said, shrugging. "You were engaged, after all, so you must love him. I just want you to be happy and didn't want you to let your stubbornness get in the way of that."

She wanted to believe her, but her mother had never really cared whether or not Quinn was happy, and she doubted she'd suddenly started.

"I'm sure I'll find someone," Quinn said after a few moments.

"Hopefully someone more suitable," Judy added.

Quinn sighed softly as she looked down. She knew neither of her parents would ever consider Rachel a more suitable option.

Rachel couldn't help but smile widely as she walked into the club and a round of applause broke out. She knew the cast and crew were planning something, but this was far more than she'd expected. There was a banner hanging over the bar and everywhere she looked were the cast and crew from Living for the Weekend. There were some faces she didn't know—probably just patrons from club—but the majority of the room was filled with the people she'd worked with for the past few months.

"You guys!" Rachel said, tearing up a bit.

"You didn't think we could let you go without a proper sendoff, did you?" Oliver asked.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this!" Rachel replied, hugging him lightly.

"It's a shame you can't stay longer," Jo said, nudging her shoulder into Rachel's.

"I'm sure Natasha will do a wonderful job," Rachel replied.

She was confident her replacement would do the show justice. Maybe her voice wasn't quite as strong as hers, but Rachel had a good feeling about her. She had an amazing stage presence that Rachel didn't see very often and she really did have a lovely voice. Rachel thought they were lucky to find such a good replacement. She knew it couldn't be easy to go on after she had been in the role, but if anyone could do it, she believed Natasha could.

"We're still going to miss you," Oliver said.

"And I'm going to miss you guys," Rachel replied, smiling at him.

"Enough of the mushy shit," Jo said, grabbing Rachel's hand.

"Where are we going?" Rachel asked as Jo began pulling her.

"We're going to get thoroughly plastered," Jo replied.

Rachel let Jo order shots for them and what she hoped was several other people. She had no intention of getting drunk that night, but a few drinks wouldn't hurt. Her flight wasn't until Sunday, so she had the entire next day free, but that didn't mean she wanted to spend it with a hangover. There were still several sights she wanted to see before she left, and she didn't want to do it with a splitting headache. She wanted to be able to enjoy her last day there, especially since she didn't know when she would be able to come back to London.

"Here," Jo said, handing her a shot of clear liquid, and then another to Oliver. "Cheers."

Rachel clinked her glass to the other two's and then downed the shot. It burned all the way down and she coughed slightly as she put the glass onto the bar.

"That's terrible," Oliver said, voicing exactly what she was thinking. Jo just shrugged before throwing back another shot, and he shook his head at her before turning to Rachel. "Care to dance?"

"I'd love to," Rachel said, taking his outstretched hand.

Oliver smiled and then led them onto the dance floor. Rachel had never heard the song that was currently playing, but she thought it was quite enjoyable and was glad Oliver asked her to dance. Since Quinn had left, she had become a little closer to her cast mates, and Oliver was the closest thing she had to a best friend there. Jo was a close second, but the fact that Oliver reminded her of a cross between Kurt and Tina put him slightly ahead.

"So, are you happy you're going back to the States?" Oliver asked over the music

"Yes and no," Rachel answered. "I was excited to come to London, but I didn't think I would love it here as much as I do. And of course I'm going to miss you and everyone else."

Oliver smiled. "But—"

"But it will be nice to see my friends and it'll be even nicer not have to go back to a hotel at the end of the night," Rachel said. "Also, it's been far too long since I saw my fathers, so I'm looking forward to spending some time in Lima."

"I bet," Oliver replied with a slight smirk on his face that was very reminiscent of Kurt. "And the fact that a certain woman lives there has no bearing on why you're so eager to go back to your hometown."

"Okay, maybe a little," Rachel said, trying to act nonchalant about it.

"Something tells me it has everything to do with it," Oliver replied.

"That's not true," Rachel argued. "I happen to be very close with my fathers and I am excited to spend some quality time with them. Though, yes, I am also looking forward to seeing Quinn again." Rachel looked away. "If she wants to see me."

"Why wouldn't she want to see you?" Oliver asked just as the music began to change.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but she hasn't really been in contact with me. I understand that she's probably busy, but I can't help worrying."

"This song is terrible!" Oliver said, nodding toward the speakers. "Let's go get another drink."

Rachel nodded and followed him off the dance floor. As they weaved their way through the crowd, he looked over his shoulder and said, "I know you're concerned, but I don't think you need to be."

"Why is that?" Rachel inquired.

"I don't know." Oliver shrugged. "I guess it's just from everything you told me, I don't think she would just not want to see you. You two are friends, after all."

"I certainly hope you're right," Rachel replied with a sigh.

"I think the worst thing that could happen is if she decides that's all she wants to be," Oliver added.

Rachel furrowed her brows as Oliver led them the rest of the way to the bar. What he said was exactly what she was afraid of. Not that she thought being Quinn's friend would be a bad thing, but that's not all she wanted to be. Not when she had fallen in love with her.

"You really didn't have to pay for my ticket," Quinn said, taking the movie ticket from Brittany.

Brittany shrugged and said, "But I wanted to. Besides, you didn't really want to come, so you shouldn't have to pay."

Quinn could tell Santana disagreed, but she wasn't going to say anything. Brittany was right about her not wanting to go to the movies with them. She really didn't want to be a third wheel, and she knew Santana didn't want her to be either, but Brittany had begged her to come. Even though she had only been out of her friends' apartment for less than a week, Brittany was complaining about how she never got to see her anymore. Eventually, Quinn relented since she really didn't have anything else planned and she didn't want to disappoint Brittany. Not when she had been nice enough to let her stay with her and Santana for so long.

"I want some popcorn," Brittany said as they walked into the lobby.

"I'll get you some, B," Santana replied.

"And some Sno-Caps for Quinn," Brittany added.

"Can you get me a small Coke while you're at it?" Quinn asked, trying to not smirk at Santana's annoyance.

"Bite me," Santana mumbled as she passed by.

"I'm glad you came," Brittany said, looking over at Quinn as Santana walked toward the concession stand.

"I don't think Santana's so glad," Quinn commented.

Brittany shrugged. "She's just grumpy because I had to work early and she didn't get any sex this morning."

"That's—" Quinn shook her head; she really wished Brittany wouldn't be so open about her and Santana's sex life.

"She won't be as grumpy after we go home," Brittany added. "So if we don't ask you to come over after the movie, don't feel bad or anything."

"I won't," Quinn replied, hoping to put an end to their current conversation.

"Good," Brittany said. "I didn't want you to think we didn't want you there. I'd totally invite you over if it wasn't for—"

"I understand," Quinn interrupted.

"Maybe you can—" Brittany trailed off and Quinn looked over at her. Brittany quickly stopped staring at whatever had caught her attention and looked at Quinn again. "Um, maybe you can come over tomorrow."

"Maybe," Quinn replied, furrowing her brows slightly. "I thought I may spend the day unpacking. There are still a lot of boxes lying around and if I don't do it tomorrow, they'll probably sit there until next weekend."

"Don't look now, but the walking Ken doll is over there with Barbie," Santana said, walking up to them with her arms full of drinks, popcorn, and candy.

"What?" Quinn asked.

She followed Santana's gaze and found Sam standing exactly where Brittany had been looking, laughing as he talked to some girl. When he put his arm around her, Santana mumbled something under her breath. Quinn felt a slight pang of hurt, but otherwise, she really didn't care if Sam was at the movies with some girl. They weren't together; he could be with whoever he wanted to be with.

"I was trying to not let her see," Brittany said, frowning. "And she looks more like Skipper than Barbie."

"Whatever," Santana replied. "She's a plastic bitch that needs to have those fake lips smacked off her face."

"Don't," Quinn said. "It doesn't matter. He's free to date anyone he wants."

"Can I smack him, then?" Santana asked.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "No."

"You never let me have any fun," Santana said, walking away.

"Wait, San," Brittany said, following her girlfriend.

Rather than follow her friends, Quinn paused and looked at Sam. He was smiling and laughing, looking happier than she'd seen him in a long time. Just as she was about to turn and find where Brittany and Santana had gone, Sam looked her way. She could see the surprise flash over his face, but then he hesitantly waved. She thought about turning and walking away; instead, she took a deep breath and crossed the distance between her and Sam.

Sam said something to his date before taking a few steps toward Quinn and saying, "Hey."

"Hi," Quinn replied.

"I, um, I haven't seen you in a while," Sam said, running a hand through his hair, and she knew it was one of the things he did when he was nervous.

"I was out of town for a month," Quinn replied.

"Oh," Sam said with a nod. "Where'd you go?"

"London," Quinn answered. "Brittany and Santana bought me a plane ticket, so it didn't give me much choice but to go." She smiled slightly. "I'm glad they did, though."

"That's cool," Sam replied. "I know you said once you'd like to go."

"Yeah," Quinn said.

"So—are you, like, okay?" Sam asked.

"I am." She looked down and couldn't help but smile. "Going to London kind of helped me with some things."

"Good," Sam said with a smile. "I was actually surprised you came over. I figured you still hated me. Not that I'd blame you or anything."

"I don't hate you," Quinn replied. "I was just angry with you for messing everything up."

Sam furrowed his brows slightly, looking a little confused, but it quickly went away when the girl he'd been with said, "We're going to be late for the movie."

"I'll be there in a sec," Sam said.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Quinn asked.

"Uh, yeah," Sam replied, sounding a little hesitant. "That's Cassie."

"She's pretty," Quinn commented, glancing over at the blonde. "Don't hurt her."

"Believe me, I've learned from my mistakes," Sam replied before glancing over his shoulder. "I should go. I'll see you around?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah." She began to turn but stopped. "Oh, if you run into either of my parents again, don't listen to anything they say."

Sam laughed as he walked backwards. "Yeah, that was a little weird."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "You know how they can be."

Sam nodded and then gave her a wave before turning and joining his date. Turning on her heel, Quinn walked toward the other side of the large room to find her friends.

As Rachel walked through the airport, she glanced around for any sign of Kurt. She'd told him that she could make it home herself, but he'd insisted on picking her up. She hadn't fought it too hard; she couldn't wait to see her friends after only being able to see them on the computer screen for the past two months. It was nice and she was thankful she was able to talk to them at all, but it just wasn't the same as being able to speak to them in person.

She stopped and glanced around, but she didn't see her friend anywhere. Just as she was about to take a step forward, she found a pair of strong arms being wrapped around her and her feet were lifted off the ground. Rachel couldn't help the squeal of surprise that came out of her mouth as she was lifted into the air. She couldn't see the person whose arms were wrapped around her, but she immediately recognized by the cologne that it was Jesse St. James.

"Put me down, Jesse!" Rachel demanded.

"You heard her," Kurt's voice sounded from behind her.

"Yeah, the rest of us would like hugs, too," Tina added.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rachel asked as Jesse set her feet back on the floor and she was able to turn around and see her three friends. "I thought only Kurt was coming even though I told him not to."

"You didn't think we'd let Kurt come without us, did you?" Tina asked with a smile. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," Rachel said, hugging Tina before turning and wrapping her arms around Kurt.

"Don't I get a hug?" Jesse asked.

"I believe you already got one," Rachel replied, but she gave him another one, nevertheless.

"Okay, now tell us everything about London," Kurt said, looping his arm around hers. "Jesse, grab her suitcases since you made her drop them."

Rachel laughed lightly. "I think you already know everything."

"Impossible," Kurt argued.

"How was your flight?" Tina asked.

"Not as excited as my flight there," Rachel answered, smiling softly as she thought of meeting Quinn on the plane to London. "I slept some of the way, but then a baby started crying, so I listened to music and did a little reading. The next thing I knew, the plane was already landing."

"What was so exciting about your flight there?" Jesse asked.

"Oh, you know," Rachel replied. "I guess just the fact that I was going somewhere new."

She still hadn't really told her friends about Quinn. She knew they would make a bigger deal out of it than it was, and she really didn't want them analyzing everything. Kurt and Tina would only be concerned that she was going to get hurt and Jesse would just ask inappropriate questions. They knew she'd made a friend while she was in London, but she'd always been vague on the details. Even if she'd never really said anything, though, she knew Kurt and Tina suspected something had gone on between her and Quinn. She knew she'd eventually tell them, but for right now, she was going to keep it to herself.

"So, are you going to tell us everything?" Kurt asked.

"I sent you an email nearly every day," Rachel reminded him. "You probably know what I did better than I do."

"Yes, but it's better hearing it," Kurt argued.

Tina laughed. "She just got off the plane; maybe you should wait a while before you bombard her with questions."

"Thank you, Tina," Rachel said with a smile.

"Well, you didn't send me any emails," Jesse stated.

"I sent you the exact same ones that I sent Kurt and Tina," Rachel replied. "It's not my fault if you don't read them."

"Some of us have better things to do than sit at a computer," Jesse said.

"Fine, I'll tell you everything," Rachel relented. "Later."

"You can tell us over lunch," Kurt replied. "Jesse and I wanted to go out, but—"

"But I thought you may want to go home," Tina interrupted.

"Home sounds nice," Rachel replied.

"So, we're going to order in," Kurt added.

"That sounds perfect," Rachel commented. "As long as I'm not going to go home to find that you've stolen my room."

"I still say you forfeit all right to a room when you leave the country, so it wouldn't really be stealing," Kurt replied.

"Kurt!" Rachel said, stopping, and bringing him to a halt as well. "If you moved any of my possessions—"

"I didn't," Kurt replied, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Only because I wouldn't let him," Tina said.

Rachel huffed and began walking again, pulling Kurt along. "Thank you, Tina. I won't have to do something dramatic like kill Kurt."

"You would never kill me," Kurt said with a smirk. "I'm your best friend."

"Best friends can be replaced," Rachel remarked.

"And you're only one of several best friends," Tina added.

"Exactly," Rachel said, trying to contain her smile.

"Fine, but she still wouldn't do it," Kurt replied, looking over at Tina. "It would make far too much of a mess, and we all know how much Rachel hates messes."

"Smothering, strangulation, poison," Jesse stated.

"What?" Kurt asked.

"Ways to murder someone without making a mess," Jesse answered.

"You're no help," Kurt said, shaking his head.

Rachel laughed lightly and squeezed Kurt's arm. "I really missed you guys."

"I think we should all agree to never leave the country for such a long period of time," Tina said.

"Agreed," Rachel replied.

"It's just too bad you're leaving us again so soon," Kurt commented.

"I won't be gone that long," Rachel said. "And you know it's been a while since I got to spend any significant time with my fathers."

"We understand," Tina replied.

"I don't," Jesse stated.

Tina rolled her eyes. "Those of us that are human understand."

"I resent that," Jesse replied.

Rachel laughed and shook her head. She really had missed them a lot.

Quinn quickly rinsed off her plate and opened the dishwasher to put it inside. She'd finally put everything up in her kitchen—the last room to be unpacked—and celebrated by cooking in her new kitchen. The appliances were a lot newer than the apartment she shared with Sam and it had taken a little time to figure out how to work everything, but she was quite satisfied with how everything turned out.

On top of cooking in a new kitchen, it was a little weird cooking for one instead of two. She realized halfway through that it was the first time she'd ever cooked for just her. She had cooked for Sam, her family, her friends, her friend's friends and family, but never for herself. For once, she didn't have to worry about what everyone else wanted or liked; she only had herself to think about. It was probably the first time in twenty-four years that she could say that about anything.

Quinn closed the dishwasher and then grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before walking into the living room. The apartment was so quiet that her footsteps echoed as she walked across the hardwood floor. Stopping in the middle of the room, she looked around for her book. She found it on the end table, where she also picked up the remote to the entertainment center. Normally she didn't listen to anything while reading, but it was just too quiet in the apartment, so she turned some music on, lowering the sound until she could just hear the music.

Just as she was about to sit down, her phone began to ring. She put her book under her arm and grabbed the phone before sitting down. Sighing slightly when she saw 'Parents' across the screen, she thought about letting it go to voicemail. She really just wanted to spend her Monday night relaxing, and talking to either of her parents was far from relaxing. It was certainly tempting, but after a few seconds of staring at the screen, she finally answered it with a, "Hello."

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to pick up," her mother said.

"I was in the other room," Quinn lied.

"Oh, well, I promise I won't keep you long," Judy said. "I was talking to Cindy at church yesterday. You remember her, right? She and her husband, Scott, always come to our Christmas party. They moved here about five years ago from Maine"

"Kind of," Quinn said, wondering where this was going.

"We were talking and one thing led to another," Judy continued. "She asked how you were, so naturally I asked about Jason, her son, and she happened to mention that he and his girlfriend recently broke up. They had only been dating a few months, so it was nothing serious."

"Okay," Quinn replied, getting a sinking feeling in her stomach that she knew exactly where her mother was headed.

"Well, Cindy and I were talking and we both agreed that we think you two would hit it off quite nicely," her mother said. "He's going to be a lawyer."

Quinn wanted to tell her mom that she didn't care if he was going to be president of the United States. Being set up was the last thing she wanted right now. And she definitely didn't want her mom setting her up with anyone.

"Mom—"

"As I said, his name is Jason and he's around your age," Judy said, continuing on as if Quinn hadn't said anything. "He's currently in his final year of law school, and then he plans to come back to Lima. He doesn't live too far from here right now, so distance wouldn't really be a concern."

Quinn rubbed her temple with her free hand as she listened to her mother tell her all the good things about this Jason. She had no interest in meeting him, let alone going on a date with him, but she knew it was better to let her mother talk sometimes. With a sigh, Quinn moved her book onto the coffee table and stood up. She obviously wasn't going to get to read anytime soon, so she walked over to the bookcase, put her mother on speakerphone, and set the phone on one of the shelves.

Rather than waste her time sitting there, she figured it would be better to start unpacking the only two boxes she had left. It took her a while to settle on the placement of the bookcase, but she finally decided on the best place for it. She'd planned on waiting until the next day to do it, but it was something that didn't take a lot of focus, so it didn't matter if her mother was talking about all the virtues of some guy she'd never met.

"What are you doing?" Judy asked. "I hear shuffling."

"I'm just unpacking," Quinn said with a roll of her eyes. "I put you on speakerphone."

"Are you even listening to me?" Judy asked.

"Yes," Quinn replied.

It was partially true; she was sort of listening, but not exactly committing everything to memory.

"So, what do you think about Friday?" Judy said.

"For what?" Quinn asked.

"For a date," Judy replied. "I told Cindy I would let her know a date, so she could tell Jason."

"Mom, I'm not interested," Quinn stated.

"Nonsense," Judy said. "Jason is a very nice boy and you two would go nicely together. You've made it perfectly clear that you and Sam are not getting back together, and it's time you get back out there."

"I'm—" Quinn sighed. She knew there was nothing she could her mother that would be an acceptable reason for why she couldn't go on a date with this guy.

"Does Friday at seven sound good?" her mother asked.

"Do I have a choice?" Quinn asked back.

"Of course you do, honey, but I don't see any reason to turn down such a good opportunity," Judy replied. "You'll see; you'll have a wonderful time."

"Fine," Quinn relented.

"Perfect," Judy replied. "I'll call Cindy right now to tell her the good news."

Without another word, the call ended. Quinn picked up her phone with a sigh, glancing at the screen before tossing it across the room. It landed on the couch with a bounce, and Quinn dropped the books she'd been holding back into the box. She definitely didn't feel like unpacking now.

"I just don't see why you have to leave tomorrow," Jesse stated.

"Because I'm not working, and who knows when that will change, so I should go while I can," Rachel replied.

"But I told her she could meet you," Jesse said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't think Rachel cares if you promised some girl you met in a bar that she could meet her," Kurt replied.

"She's going to think I was lying," Jesse said.

"It wouldn't be the first time you lied to a girl," Tina remarked.

"But I wasn't lying this time!" Jesse said, throwing his hands up.

"Simply tell her I went to visit my parents for a little while and that I'll be back soon," Rachel replied. "If she really is a fan of mine, I'm sure she'll understand what a hectic life I have. Now, are we going to choose a movie? We're wasting valuable time right now."

"I think you should decide," Tina said. "It is your last night here for a while, after all."

"I don't want to watch Funny Girl again," Jesse stated.

Rachel huffed. "Funny Girl isn't the only movie I watch, you know? I don't understand why you act like it is. I've only chosen it one time out of the dozens of times that it was my turn to select our entertainment for the night."

"Everyone who votes for Rachel to pick a movie, raise your hand," Tina said, raising hers into the air, as did Kurt. "Okay, it's decided; Rachel chooses the movie."

"That's not fair," Jesse complained.

"It seemed fair to me," Kurt replied.

"But Rachel didn't vote," Jesse said.

"Rachel, do you vote for yourself?" Kurt asked, looking over at her.

"Always," Rachel answered without hesitation.

"There," Tina said with a triumphant smile. "It's settled."

"In that case, I think we should watch Notting Hill," Rachel said, getting off the couch so she could make some popcorn.

Jesse groaned, but Kurt clapped his hands together and said, "I love Notting Hill."

As Rachel walked to the kitchen, she shook her head at her friends. It felt good to be back and it almost felt as if she had never been away, It almost made her not want to leave again so soon, but she kept reminding herself that she really hadn't spent any quality time with her fathers in a while. Then, of course, there was Quinn. She still had her fears about seeing the blonde again, but she was excited at the same time.

"Are you making popcorn?" Tina asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Of course," Rachel answered, looking over her shoulder, and smiling. "It isn't a movie without the popcorn. Would you like me to pop you some as well?"

"Please," Tina said as she came up next to her and sat on the counter.

"I imagine Jesse is still complaining," Rachel remarked with a light laugh.

Tina shrugged and said, "He'll get over it."

"He always does," Rachel added,

They fell silent as Rachel threw the bag of popcorn into the microwave. After a few moments, the popping of the kernels broke the quiet and Rachel walking to the cabinet to grab a large bowl, and when she walked back, she noticed Tina staring at her.

"Yes?" Rachel asked when her friend didn't look away.

Tina shrugged. "I was just wondering something."

"Oh?" Rachel said. "What were you wondering?"

"I didn't really want to say anything in front of Kurt and Jesse yesterday," Tina said. "I noticed when we were looking at your pictures that you weren't alone in a lot of them. Her name is Quinn, right?"

"Yes," Rachel replied. "I told you that she and I saw some of the sights together."

Tina narrowed her eyes slightly and Rachel felt like she was being studied. "I know."

"Well, so, we took a few pictures together," Rachel said.

"You don't talk about her," Tina stated.

"There isn't a lot to say," Rachel lied.

"Rachel, you talk about everything," Tina replied. "The fact that you haven't talked about her means something."

Rachel groaned as she opened the microwave door. "I hate that you know me so well."

"Oh my god," Tina said, jumping down from the counter. "Kurt was right when we were Skyping; it was a date, wasn't it?"

"It wasn't a date," Rachel replied. "Although, we did go on one just before she left."

"Are you two together now?" Tina asked.

"I don't know," Rachel said with a sigh. "Things are a little complicated. I hope to find out where we stand when I go to Lima." Rachel looked over at Tina, whose eyebrows rose. "She's from there. She went to McKinley High."

"So that's why you're going," Tina replied.

"Actually, I'm going to see my fathers, but seeing Quinn is an added bonus," Rachel said before pausing for a moment. "I think I'm in love with her."

Tina opened her mouth and then quickly closed it, clearly surprised by Rachel's admission.

"I know it's quick, but—" Rachel shook her head. "I can't even properly explain it. I met her on the plane; it was her first time in London as well. We discussed maybe seeing some of the city together, so we didn't have to do it alone. When she didn't immediately contact me, though, I assumed I would never see her again. However, a few days later, we just happened to run into each other at Trafalgar Square. We spent most of our days together after that."

"Why didn't you tell us about her?" Tina asked.

"I don't know," Rachel said with a shrug. "I guess I just don't know what's going to happen with us, so I thought I would wait. We just live so far away, and I don't even know if she would want to be in a relationship with me now that we're away from London."

"She would be crazy not to," Tina replied.

"I hope so," Rachel sadly said.

"If you don't come soon, we're starting the movie without you!" Kurt called out.

"We'll be there in a second!" Rachel called back, turning, and grabbing the bag of popcorn from the microwave.

Quinn sighed and threw her book to the side; she couldn't seem to concentrate and she realized she'd read the same paragraph three times. Her mind was all over the place as she thought about Rachel and the stupid date her mother set her up on. She kept trying to come up with some reason for why she had to cancel, but it was easier said than done. It's not as if she could tell her mother the real reason, and unless she was in the hospital, she doubted her mother would consider any other reason valid.

For a fleeting moment, she did think about telling her mother the truth, but she knew she couldn't. It wouldn't be an overstatement to say her parents would never speak to her again if they knew. Fabrays were not allowed to be different, and anyone who was, was no longer considered a Fabray. She'd seen it happen to a few of her cousins, and there was no doubt it would happen to her as well. Nevertheless, that didn't stop her from feeling like a coward.

Despite everything, she loved her parents and she didn't want to disappoint them. It was why she'd pushed everything down for so long and stayed with Sam even if she wasn't in love with him. It was what was expected of her, so she did it. At least he was a decent guy most of the time; she definitely could have done much worse.

She jumped slightly when there was a knock at the door. She wasn't expecting anyone, but it wouldn't be the first time Brittany and Santana just showed up. They had already done it once in the short time she'd been living there, and they had done it too many times to count while she was living with Sam. It was weird for them to come on a Wednesday night, though; they usually did it on Friday or Saturday, saying how boring she was that she was home when it was the weekend.

But when she opened the door, it wasn't Brittany or Santana. Quinn froze, her hand still on the doorknob, as she stared at the woman in front of her in surprise.

"Hi," Rachel said, smiling shyly at her.

"Hey," Quinn replied when she finally found her voice.

"I should have called," Rachel said, looking down at her hands, which were playing with the hem of her plaid skirt.

"I had no idea you were coming," Quinn said. "I mean, I know you mentioned it at the airport, but—" Quinn shook her head.

Quinn couldn't believe Rachel was standing on her welcome mat. She'd mentioned coming to Lima, but she had no idea when or if she was even still going to come. They hadn't talked a lot since she left London. Quinn had just been so busy with work and moving, and

she figured Rachel was also busy with work and seeing the city. For all she knew, Rachel had changed her mind about everything, but here she was, staring at her with those expressive brown eyes.

"I hope you don't mind, but I found out from Brittany where you live," Rachel said.

"Yeah—no, that's fine," Quinn replied.

"I knew from your last email that you'd moved, but I didn't have your new address," Rachel continued. "Thankfully, Brittany was home and nice enough to provide me with an address. I have a feeling if it had been Santana, she would have made me sit down for an interrogation or something."

"Probably," Quinn agreed.

"Anyway, I just got into town this morning," Rachel said. "I'm going to be here for a few weeks, which my fathers are thrilled about. I don't think I've spent more than a week at a time with them since I moved to New York." Rachel laughed lightly, and Quinn could tell it was a nervous laugh. "I promised to spend today with them, and they want to take me to dinner tomorrow, but I was hoping maybe we could have lunch together. Tomorrow." Rachel shook her head. "Obviously since it's far past lunchtime."

"Yeah, I can meet you for lunch," Quinn replied.

Rachel's face brightened. "Really? Well, how about Breadstix? As much as I hated it while I was living here, I find myself missing it sometimes."

"That's fine," Quinn answered. "I can be there a little after noon."

"That's perfect," Rachel replied. "Well—I'll see you tomorrow."

Quinn nodded and Rachel gave a little wave, hesitating a moment before turning on her heel and walking down the hall. Quinn remained rooted to the spot, however; the shock of finding Rachel on the other side of the door still hadn't worn off. She was the last person Quinn expected to see when she opened the door and it almost didn't feel like it'd really happened.

But it had. Rachel was there in Lima. Even though she'd said she was going to come, part of Quinn hadn't really believed it. Maybe it was because she didn't want to get her hopes up or maybe it was just because everything was so hard to believe. Meeting on the plane, running into each other again in a city with millions of people in it, and then falling for each other over the course of only a few weeks. She wasn't used to things like that happening to her. It did happen, though, and now Rachel was there and they were going to have lunch together.

When Rachel pulled the keys out of her fathers' car, she quickly checked her hair and makeup in the rearview mirror. She'd spent longer getting ready than she'd care to admit, and she wanted to make sure she looked perfect. She tried telling herself that it wasn't a big deal—it's not as if she hadn't had lunch with Quinn multiple times when they were in London—but it felt like a huge deal. She cringed when she thought about how she had acted the evening before and she really didn't want a repeat of the performance.

As she got out of the car and began walking toward Breadstix, she took some deep, calming breaths. She couldn't remember the last time she was that nervous. Opening night of Living For the Weekend came close, but she actually thought this beat it. At least she was confident in her abilities as a singer and actress; this was much more unknown. For all she knew, she would sit down and Quinn could tell her she'd changed her mind about everything. So, as she walked into the restaurant, she did her best to look relaxed even though she was far from it.

"Hey," she heard from behind her, causing her to jump.

"Quinn!" Rachel said in surprise as she turned around. "I didn't expect you to be here this early."

"My client had to cut things short, so I left earlier than I thought I'd be able to," Quinn said with a shrug before looking over Rachel's shoulder. "Table for two."

Just as Rachel spun around, the hostess said, "Right this way."

Rachel glanced at Quinn, who gave her a smile, and she felt herself instantly relax a bit. As they followed the hostess to their table, Rachel was considerably less nervous than when she was walking into the restaurant. By the time they were seated and they were being handed their menus, the nerves had almost completely dissipated.

"So, how have you been?" Rachel asked as she opened her menu.

Quinn shrugged and said, "Fine. Things have finally started slowing down at work."

"And I see you're all moved in," Rachel commented.

"Yeah," Quinn said with a light laugh. "I had one box that was sitting there for a few days, but I finally unpacked it last night, so I'm officially done."

"I can't imagine what it would be like if I had to move," Rachel said, shaking her head. "I guess I can be a bit of a pack rat when it comes to certain things and I've gained a significant amount of possessions since I moved into my apartment."

"Maybe you won't ever have to worry about it," Quinn replied.

"I'm sure I will one day," Rachel said. "Kurt, Tina, and I can't live together forever even if it would be nice to live with my two best friends for the rest of my life."

Rachel was about to comment that they'd eventually find significant others that they'd want to move in with, but their waiter came over to the table to take their drink orders. By the time he left, Rachel had changed her mind about saying anything, afraid Quinn would think she was trying to hint at something. The last thing she wanted to do was come on too strong and scare her off.

"Did you enjoy your last month in London?" Quinn asked as the waiter walked away.

"I did," Rachel replied. "Maybe not as much as my first month there, but I got to see a few more shows and some of the museums we missed. I also got to know the people I was working with a little better, which was nice. They were much more enjoyable to be around than my New York cast mates. They even threw me a going-away party. Jo, the one who plays my best friend, drank a bit too much and proceeded to serenade me with Leaving on a Jet Plane." Rachel laughed at the memory of it.

"I feel sorry for your replacement," Quinn commented.

Rachel shrugged. "I'm sure they'll like her just as well as they liked me."

"Maybe, but I really wouldn't want to be the one to go on stage after you," Quinn replied. "There's no way her voice is as good as yours."

Rachel tried not to blush as she said, "Thank you."

"Have you decided what you're going to do now?" Quinn asked. "I know you said you were going to take a little break, but do you know what you're going to do after that?"

"I'm not sure yet," Rachel replied. "I suppose I will just wait for the right role to come along. You know, a project I'm really passionate about like I was when I first heard about Living For the Weekend. I don't want to do something I don't really enjoy. Musical theater is something I've always been passionate about; I never want it to to feel like a job. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Quinn replied. "You don't want to wake up every morning dreading your day."

"Exactly." Rachel said as their waiter set their drinks down.

"Are you ready to order or do you need more time?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I've barely looked at the menu," Rachel said apologetically.

"I'll give you a few more minutes, then," he said with a smile.

"Thank you," Rachel replied before turning back to Quinn. "So, is that how you feel about your job?"

"Do you mean do I dread going into working every morning?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah," Rachel replied.

Quinn shrugged. "Not every day, but I don't exactly look forward to it."

"Maybe one of these days you'll also find something you're passionate about," Rachel replied.

A look flashed across Quinn's face that Rachel couldn't decipher. It was gone seconds later, though, and Quinn looked down, saying, "We should probably look at our menus before he comes back."

"Probably," Rachel replied.

Nevertheless, she continued studying Quinn for a few more moments. Then, with a light sigh, she followed Quinn's lead and looked down at her own menu.

Quinn glanced over her shoulder and then leaned back in her seat, putting her elbow on the armrest and resting her chin on her hand. She was usually much more proper on dates—sitting up straight, hands in her lap, legs crossed—but she really didn't care. She didn't want to be at the theater with a guy her mother set her up with. And what made it worse was that she lied to Rachel about what she was doing that night, but she really didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling her she was going out with some guy. She's already decided to tell her the truth the next time she saw her and explain the situation, but it had thrown her when Rachel asked what she was doing the next night.

"Sorry, there was a long line," Quinn heard from her left, and she looked up to find Jason.

"It's fine," Quinn replied.

She really didn't care if he'd found the nearest door to leave. From what little they'd talked, he was nice, but completely dull. She could see why her mother approved of him, though. So far all he'd talked about was his faith, his parents, and law school. He was exactly the type of guy her mother would want her to be with.

"So, Quinn, my mom said your mom said you just went on vacation," Jason said as he took his seat.

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

"Where did you go?" Jason asked when she didn't elaborate.

"England," Quinn answered. "London mostly."

"That sounds like fun," Jason commented. "I think the last time I was on vacation was when I was in high school and I went with my parents to New York."

Quinn's mouth quirked up at the mention of New York. "I think that may be the next place I'm going to go."

"How long were you in England?" Jason asked.

"A month," Quinn replied.

"A month?" he asked. "I'd be bored if I spent a month on vacation."

"It definitely wasn't boring," Quinn said, feeling herself getting a little annoyed.

"What made you go?" Jason asked.

Quinn couldn't help but laugh. "Santana and Brittany."

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"My best friends," Quinn replied. "They bought my plane ticket and told me I was going. And it's pointless to argue with either of them. Santana will harass you until you do what she wants. She'll also harass you until you do what Brittany wants because she doesn't like seeing her girlfriend disappointed."

"Your friends are dating?" Jason asked.

"Yes," Quinn replied.

Jason didn't say anything else, though Quinn got the feeling he wanted to. She almost wished he would so she would have a reason to end the date early, but he continued to sit there in silence, which was also fine with Quinn. She hated making small talk with people, especially people she didn't want to be talking to in the first place.

All she could think was how she had so much more fun on her date with Rachel. Here she was, sitting in the middle of a nice theater, waiting for a play to start, but yet her date of sandwiches in the park with Rachel had been a million times better. Everything hadn't felt forced like this did; she actually enjoyed Rachel's company and even the simple things with her were fun. Really, she could be sitting in a room with Rachel, not speaking, and it would be better than her current situation.

She had been willing to give Jason a legitimate chance, but the moment she saw him, she knew it wasn't going to happen. She wasn't attracted to him at all despite the fact that he was attractive, and as soon as he started talking, she found herself bored by him. At least Sam was never boring, if not a little corny sometimes. Jason, however, was just dull. Maybe some girls would find his personality charming, but she definitely wasn't one of them.

"The play should start anytime," Jason stated.

Quinn made a hum of acknowledgement, but didn't say anything. She hoped he was right, though. The faster the play began, the faster it would end, and the faster the date would be over.

Rachel closed the refrigerator door with a sigh and walked forward, leaning her elbows against the kitchen island. She had been staring at the contents of the fridge for the past five minutes and nothing was looking very appetizing.

She wasn't sure what was wrong with her, but she didn't seem to be in the mood for anything, really. She had been a little down all day, doing nothing but lying around or wandering aimlessly from room to room. She tried watching television and reading, but neither kept her interest for very long. She'd even tried listening to music, something that normally always cheered her up, but it didn't have its usual effect on her.

Rachel picked her phone up from the counter, thinking about calling Tina or Kurt, but then she put it back down. There was really no reason to call them; she had no idea what she would even talk to them about. Plus, they were probably out, anyway. She was just in a weird mood that would pass on its own. She just hoped it would happen sooner rather than later; she didn't like feeling sad or discontent or whatever she was feeling at the moment.

When the doorbell rang, Rachel didn't bother moving to answer it. Her fathers were both home and she knew one of them would get it. Since none of her classmates from high school knew she was in town, she knew it wouldn't be anyone for her. Which is why she was surprised when her father called out, telling her it was for her.

She she stood up straight and furrowed her brows. It took her a moment, but she finally began walking out of the kitchen and into the hallway that led to the front door. Her father, Leroy, was standing at the door and he raised his eyebrows when he saw her. Rachel was wondering what his expression was about until he stepped slightly to the side and she saw Quinn standing at the front door.

"Quinn, hi," Rachel said, surprised to find the blonde there.

"Hey," Quinn greeted.

"I'll be in the living room," Leroy said, turning, and walking away, but pausing as he passed by Rachel. "My eyes aren't deceiving me, are they? That is the girl you met in London, isn't it?"

"Yes," Rachel replied.

"I believe you failed to mention she lived nearby," Leroy whispered.

"Did I?" Rachel asked.

She was completely aware she'd never mentioned that Quinn was from Lima, too. She'd told her fathers quite a bit about Quinn, but she'd deliberately left that out. And the fact that she was falling in love with her. She didn't want her fathers to make a big deal about it, which she knew they would. Plus, they would only worry that she was going to get hurt and she didn't want that. And she honestly didn't want to talk about it at the moment; not when she was so unsure about what was even going on.

"Yes, you did," Leroy said, obviously seeing right through her.

"Did I come at a bad time?" Quinn asked.

"Not at all," Rachel replied, putting on a smile. "Please, come in." Rachel frowned slightly as she closed the door behind Quinn. "Not that I'm not happy you're here, but may I ask how you know where I live?"

"It wasn't that difficult," Quinn said. "There aren't that many Berrys in town."

Rachel laughed slightly and said, "I suppose that's true."

"So, can we talk?" Quinn asked, shrugging.

"Yes, of course," Rachel said. "Why don't we go up to my room for some privacy?"

She turned and led Quinn up the stairs, knowing her fathers would probably listen to every word they said if they stayed where they were. So, she walked toward her bedroom, glancing over her shoulder at Quinn, as she opened the door.

"You'll have to excuse the decor," Rachel said as she entered the room. "I haven't lived in this room since I was seventeen and my fathers haven't changed anything."

"It's—" Quinn shook her head.

"It's terrible, I know," Rachel replied, laughing. "If you can't tell, I used to be a huge fan of yellow and pink. Thankfully, my tastes have matured since middle school." Rachel clasped her hands together. "So, you wanted to talk? And I'm assuming you don't come to talk about my hideously decorated room."

"I just wanted to—" Quinn looked like she wanted to say something, but after a moment, she closed her mouth and gave a tense smile. "I went on a date yesterday."

"Oh," Rachel said. "Well, that's fine."

She didn't feel fine; in fact, she felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She knew her face would give her away, so she quickly turned and pretended to be interested in the contents on her desk.

"I didn't want to go, but my mother set me up with the son of someone she goes to church with," Quinn continued. "I didn't tell you the other day because I was embarrassed."

Rachel frowned and turned around to look at Quinn. "Why were you embarrassed?"

"Because I'm too afraid to tell my parents the truth," Quinn replied. "I didn't want to go, but I did because I couldn't tell her there's someone else I'm interested in. If I did, she would want to know who, and I just can't tell her. I can't tell either of my parents."

"Quinn, it's okay," Rachel said. "I understand that your parents may not be very accepting and that you feel as if you can't tell them. You don't have to feel bad about that. Although, I do wish you had told me the truth the other day, I can understand why you didn't." Rachel looked over at the Playbills on her wall. "So, how was your date?"

"Terrible," Quinn answered.

"Really?" Rachel asked, unable to contain her smile.

"Yeah," Quinn replied. "I was praying one of us would get food poisoning so I could get out of it early. Preferably him. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, so I had to waste several hours of my life with him, and all I could think was how much more fun I had with you."

Rachel's smile only grew as she shyly looked down. "I would say I'm sorry that you had a bad date—."

"But you're not," Quinn said for her.

"No," Rachel admitted.

"It's okay," Quinn said, shaking her head. "I kind of deserved it for being too afraid to say no." Quinn looked at the door and then looked back over at her. "I should really go. I'm meeting Brittany and Santana at the furniture store to help them pick out a new couch." Quinn rolled her eyes. "Since I got a new one, Brittany decided she likes it better and it didn't take much to get Santana to agree to buy one. I just wanted to come by and talk."

Rachel nodded. "Well, I appreciate you telling me."

"I'll see you," Quinn said, giving her a smile.

"Goodbye, Quinn," Rachel replied, smiling softly back.

Quinn threw the Chinese menu into the drawer and looked at the two remaining ones on the counter. She didn't feel like cooking, and she'd eliminated her choices down to Mexican or sushi. Neither sounded particularly appealing, but it was better than having to do grocery shopping just to have to come home and cook. She knew she was going to have to do some shopping sooner or later, but she was definitely choosing later.

As she looked over the menus for a third time, there was a light knock on her door. She sighed, setting the piece of paper down, and walked over to the door. She put her hand on the doorknob and quickly looked through the peephole, wondering who it was. She thought it may be her parents since she skipped out on church that morning, but when she looked into the hallway, Rachel was standing on her welcome mat.

"Dammit," Quinn whispered as she stood back and looked at what she was wearing.

She certainly hadn't been expecting company and since she hadn't gone anywhere all day, she was still in shorts and one of her old McKinley High shirts. She thought about running into her bedroom and quickly changing, but then Rachel knocked a second time and she didn't want to keep her waiting or risk her leaving because she thought no one was home. So, Quinn opened the door despite still being in her sleepwear.

"Hi, Quinn," Rachel greeted.

"Hey," Quinn replied.

"I apologize for just showing up again, but I was in the neighborhood and I didn't really have anything else to do, so I thought I would stop by," Rachel said before holding up a bag. "And since I haven't eaten yet, I thought I would bring dinner. I hope you haven't eaten."

"Actually, I was just looking at the menus for the places that deliver," Quinn replied.

"Perfect!" Rachel said, stepping into the apartment when Quinn stepped to the side, motioning for her to come in.

"The kitchen is over here," Quinn said, leading her over.

"You have a very nice apartment," Rachel commented as she looked around.

"Thanks," Quinn replied. "I'm still getting used to it. If I get up in the middle of the night, I have to turn a light on or I'll run into everything."

Rachel laughed lightly. "How long did you live in your other apartment?"

"Three years," Quinn answered. "Sam and I moved into it right before our final year of college."

"I'm surprised your parents were okay with you living with a guy," Rachel said as she set the bag on the counter.

"They weren't very happy about it," Quinn replied, shaking her head as she walked over to the cabinet to get some plates. "I think they were just afraid of what their friends would think about their unmarried daughter living with her boyfriend."

"I guess I'm lucky that my fathers don't care what anyone thinks of them," Rachel said.

"It must be nice," Quinn replied, handing one of the plates to Rachel. "Sometimes it seems like that's all my parents care about. The Fabrays always have to keep up the appearance of having the perfect family and expect me to play the perfect daughter. Anything else is unacceptable."

"I really can't imagine growing up like that," Rachel said, shaking her head. "It must have been terribly hard knowing you couldn't even be yourself around your parents."

"I'm sure some people have it worse," Quinn replied.

"Regardless, I'm really sorry you had to deal with that growing up," Rachel said. "And now, for that matter."

"What did you bring?" Quinn asked, wanting to get off the subject of her parents.

"Yamato," Rachel replied. "I hope you don't mind Japanese food. I got a little bit of everything."

"Actually, I had been debating between it and Mexican," Quinn said with a smile. "You just made the decision easier for me."

"Well, it looks like my timing was perfect," Rachel said, smiling back at her. "Do you want to eat in your dining room? Do you have a dining room?"

"I do, but I was thinking maybe we can watch a movie," Quinn replied, opening up her fridge, and pulling out two bottles of water. "If that's okay with you."

"Of course," Rachel said. "Choose any movie; I'm really not picky."

Given everything she knew about Rachel, she had a feeling she really was picky when it came to movies, but she probably didn't want to seem like it. So, Quinn did as Rachel said and started up Netflix, flipping through her queue to find something good. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rachel smile when she landed on Sleepless in Seattle, which made the decision for her.

"I love this movie," Rachel said as she kicked off her shoes and curled her legs underneath herself. "I never get to watch it, though; Kurt has an unnatural hatred toward Meg Ryan and refuses to let any of us watch a movie if she's in it."

"Trust me, Santana's worse," Quinn replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Somehow I can see that," Rachel said, laughing lightly.

"She actually has this little red notebook with a list of movies she refuses to watch," Quinn said, shaking her head. "I gave up suggesting movies years ago. We usually just watch whatever Brittany wants."

Rachel smiled. "At least my friends and I take turns choosing what to watch on movie night. Obviously, there are a few stipulations, but we're relatively free to choose any movie."

Quinn tossed the remote control on the coffee table and leaned back, shifting closer to Rachel as she did so. Rachel looked over at her and smiled before ducking her head. Quinn's eyebrow rose slightly, and she deliberately moved even closer to Rachel, so their shoulders were practically touching.

Rachel cleared her throat and said, "I forgot how sad the beginning of this movie is."

"Yeah," Quinn replied, trying to contain her smirk at Rachel's sudden shyness.

As Rachel walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, she tried to stifle a yawn. Hiram glanced up from his newspaper at the sound and Leroy looked over his shoulder as he took something out of the oven. Both of them were already dressed and ready to go to work, but Rachel was still in her pajamas.

"You're getting up much later than usual," Leroy commented.

"You got in late, too," Hiram added.

"I was with a friend," Rachel said, sitting down next to her father.

"Please tell us you weren't with Finn," Leroy said, pointing his spatula at her as he turned around to look at her.

Rachel pursed her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I was not with Finn."

"Well, you can't blame a father for worrying," Leroy replied.

"I was at Quinn's," Rachel said, knowing they would ask sooner or later.

"Quinn, huh?" Hiram replied, raising his eyebrows at his husband.

"Yes, Quinn," Rachel said. "We watched a few movies last night."

"What time did you finally come home last night?" Hiram asked. "I know you weren't home when your father and I went to bed, so you must have come back long after we were asleep."

"I believe it was a little after midnight," Rachel replied.

Hiram hummed and she knew he wanted to say something, but he was trying not to. She took after him in a lot of ways and their curiosity was definitely something they had in common.

"Are you hungry?" Leroy asked. "Do you want me to make you anything?"

Rachel shook her head. "Thank you, but I'll have some fruit in a little bit."

"So, this Quinn girl," Hiram said, folding up his paper, and setting it down. "Are you two dating?"

"Quinn and I are—" Rachel paused, "we're—"

She really didn't know what she and Quinn were. They may have been on one date, but she wouldn't exactly say they were dating. Rachel certainly considered Quinn a friend, but there was obviously much more to them than that. Unfortunately, she didn't really know how Quinn felt about her. She knew Quinn liked her, but she didn't know how deep her feelings went.

"Our relationship is currently undefined," Rachel finally said.

"So you two are dating?" Leroy asked.

Rachel rolled her eyes at her father. "That is not what I said."

"You didn't have to," Hiram replied. "We know you."

"Quinn and I may have gone on a date when we were in London, but we're not dating," Rachel stated. "We are interested in each other, but we're taking things slowly. Right now, we're just getting to know each other a little better."

"And why didn't you tell us she was from here?" Hiram asked.

Rachel sighed. "Because I really didn't want you two to make a big deal about it. I knew you would start asking questions and then you would want to meet her, and I would rather you not scare her off before we're even officially dating."

"Us?" Hiram innocently asked.

"Yes, you," Rachel replied. "You terrified Finn the first time you met him, and I didn't want you doing the same to Quinn. Plus, I didn't know how comfortable she would be with me telling you. Her parents are not the most supportive and she's spent her life trying to make them happy rather than herself, so she's really just trying to figure things out now."

"Meaning?" Leroy asked.

"Meaning she just recently ended her engagement to her boyfriend since high school," Rachel rushed out, knowing how bad it sounded. "As I was saying, though, she's finally allowing herself to figure out what will make her happy. I think London was very enlightening for her. She was just always so afraid of disappointing her parents that she was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for theirs."

Leroy shook his head. "They should be happy if she's happy."

"I know," Rachel replied. "Unfortunately, her family doesn't seem to feel that way. They've put so much pressure on her to be the perfect daughter."

"Who are her parents?" Leroy asked.

"I don't know their first names, but their last name is Fabray," Rachel replied.

"I don't think I know any Fabrays," Hiram said.

"That's probably a good thing," Rachel replied. "From everything Quinn has told me, I don't exactly think you would get along with them."

"Just be careful, Honey," Leroy said, giving her a serious look. "I know you, and I know how quickly and how hard you fall for people. Just don't let this girl break your heart."

"Don't worry about that," Rachel replied, giving her father a smile, and hoping he couldn't see right through it.

She didn't want her fathers to worry about it even if it had been on her mind for some time. Leroy was right when he said she fell quickly and hard, and when things didn't work out, it took her a long time to get over it. The first time Finn broke her heart, she didn't leave her room for nearly a week. She didn't even leave when her fathers tried to bribe her with tickets to a Rent sing-along. In the end, the only thing that got her out of her room was her determination to get Finn back.

"I'm your father, so of course I'm going to worry." Leroy said.

"I better go or I'm going to be late for work," Hiram said as he stood and straightened his tie.

"Don't forget to bring dinner." Leroy replied.

"As if I would ever let you two go hungry," Hiram said, kissing his husband's cheek. "Can we even expect you for dinner?"

"I'll be here," Rachel replied with a nod.

"Are you sure you won't be at Quinn's?" Hiram asked.

"No, I'll be here," Rachel said, rolling her eyes, but giving him a smile and a hug, nevertheless.

When Quinn looked through the peephole and found Rachel on the other side of the door, she wasn't nearly as surprised as the first few times. Since Rachel had texted her earlier to ask what she was doing that evening, Quinn had a feeling she would be there sooner or later.

"Hello, Quinn," Rachel said with a smile when Quinn opened the door.

Quinn smiled back and stepped aside with a, "Hey."

"I'm sorry for simply showing up again," Rachel said as she walked into the apartment. "My fathers were both working late tonight and there really isn't a lot to do in Lima, so I thought I would come by. If you're busy, I can—"

"It's okay," Quinn interrupted.

"Really?" Rachel asked.

"Don't sound so surprised," Quinn replied, brushing past Rachel as she closed the door.

"I'm not," Rachel said, shrugging her shoulder. "I—okay, yes; I just know that my presence can sometimes be unwelcome to some people."

Rachel practically mumbled the last part and Quinn couldn't help but shake her head and smile softly at the brunette. Most of the time, Rachel was so confident—probably the most confident person Quinn had ever met—but then sometimes her insecurities came out, and Quinn found it kind of endearing.

"Hey," Quinn whispered.

"Yes?" Rachel asked, looking up at her.

Quinn was about to tell Rachel that her presence wasn't unwelcome, but when Rachel looked up at her, Quinn leaned forward, instead. Rachel froze momentarily, but then her whole body relaxed and she wrapped her arms around the back of Quinn's neck. Just as she put her hand on Rachel's back and started to pull her closer, though, there was a loud knock on the door, and the two broke apart as Quinn groaned in annoyance.

"What?" Quinn asked when she pulled the door open.

"Geez, Q, it's nice to see you, too," Santana said as she barged past Quinn and into the apartment.

"Hi, Quinn," Brittany said, coming in just behind her girlfriend.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asked.

"What's got your—" Santana paused and smirked as she noticed Rachel for the first time. "Never mind. I see what has your panties all—"

"Santana!" Quinn interrupted. "What are you doing here?"

"You already asked that," Santana said.

"And you didn't answer," Quinn replied.

"Santana didn't have a good day at work," Brittany answered.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here in my apartment instead of yours," Quinn said in annoyance,

"I want to drink," Santana said, pulling out several bottles from a bag.

"It's Tuesday," Quinn stated.

Santana shrugged. "And?"

"And I have to work tomorrow," Quinn replied. "So do you and Brittany."

"Who cares," Santana said.

"I care!" Quinn replied, but Santana ignored her as she turned and walked into the living room.

"When the hell did the midget get here?" Santana called out.

"What?" Brittany asked with a frown.

Santana waved vaguely in Rachel's direction as she set the liquor bottles on Quinn's coffee table. Brittany continued to frown as she turned in a circle before looking around Quinn. Her eyes instantly lit up when she saw the brunette behind Quinn, and she immediately walked over to Rachel, giving her a hug.

"Seriously, what's the midget doing here?" Santana asked, walking back into the entryway.

"Stop calling her that," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. "She's visiting her dads."

"Why didn't you tell us she was here?" Brittany asked.

"I've only been here a few days," Rachel said, shrugging her shoulder. "Well, I suppose it's almost been a week, but I've spent a lot of that time with my fathers."

"C'mon," Santana said. "I wants to get my drink on."

"Santana, it's Tuesday," Quinn said again.

"So what?" Santana asked.

"So, I would rather not get drunk on a Tuesday night when I have work in the morning," Quinn replied. "I don't think they would appreciate it if I come in with a hangover."

"Oh, who cares, Q?" Santana said. "You hate your job, so what's the worst that could happen?"

Quinn rolled her eyes again. "I don't know—I could get fired."

"Like that would be the end of the world," Santana said.

"Maybe not the end of the world, but I wouldn't be able to afford living here," Quinn replied. "So, unless you want me moving back in with you and Brittany, I may want to keep my job for now."

"They may do this a while," Brittany said.

"One drink isn't going to hurt you," Santana snapped.

"One drink wouldn't, but it's never just one drink with you," Quinn replied.

"Do you always have to be so damn uptight?" Santana asked.

Quinn clenched her jaw and tried to take a step forward, but a hand landed on her shoulder to stop her. She was already annoyed at Santana for showing up in the first place, but now she was angry. Santana always knew how to push her buttons and she was doing an extra good job of it at the moment.

"Okay, why don't we compromise?" Rachel said, stepping between Quinn and Santana. "Santana, Quinn will join you, but we're putting a two drink limit on tonight's festivities. You can either accept the terms or you can leave."

Santana scoffed, clearly ready to start in on Rachel, but she was interrupted when Brittany said, "Deal."

"Whatever," Santana said before walking back into the living room.

"She'll be in a better mood later," Brittany said as she walked past them, joining her girlfriend.

"Rachel turned to Quinn with a soft sigh. "I'm sorry. You just looked like you were ready to hit her, and I didn't think that would be very productive."

"That's because I was," Quinn replied, looking over, and giving Rachel a wry smile.

"Are you coming?" Santana yelled from the other room.

"And I still might," Quinn added.

Rachel laughed lightly. "Let's go try to cheer your friend up."

Rachel slowly opened her eyes and quickly covered them to shield them from the light coming through the window. For a moment, she wondered why she didn't close her curtains before going to sleep like she usually did, but then she remembered that she wasn't in her room. She had opted to stay over at Quinn's after drinking a little too much, and she had fallen asleep on Quinn's couch after much debate.

Quinn had wanted her to take the bed and for her to sleep on the couch, but Rachel had refused. After all, Quinn had work in the morning while Rachel really had nothing she needed to do. Thankfully, the couch was incredibly comfortable, so Rachel had no problem sleeping on it. She had certainly slept on much worse; when she first moved to New York City, she'd slept on a futon for several months, which was one of the worst experiences of her life.

"Hey."

Rachel moved her arm from over her eyes and looked up at Quinn. "Good morning."

"Did you sleep okay?" Quinn asked.

"Yes," Rachel said as she turned onto her side. "You have a very nice couch."

"I would hope so," Quinn replied. "It took us forever to get it up here. Even if the couch was terrible, there's no way I would do that again."

"Why didn't you get it delivered?" Rachel asked. "Most businesses provide it free."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Santana."

Rachel laughed lightly. "I can certainly see her having an issue with it."

"I am all about equality and believing women can do anything a man can, but that doesn't always mean I want to," Quinn replied. "Especially when it involves carrying a heavy couch up several flights of stairs. The next time I get new furniture, I'm definitely going without her."

"That would probably be a good idea," Rachel said, sitting up, and running a hand through her hair. "She's definitely very opinionated."

"That's an understatement," Quinn replied.

As Quinn walked toward the kitchen, Rachel looked around, wondering what time it was, but she had no idea where Quinn had a clock. Considering the blonde was dressed, though, she imagined it was later than she usually slept. Then again, they had stayed up fairly late, so it was to be expected.

"Do you want any coffee?" Quinn asked.

"Please," Rachel said as she stood from the couch and stretched. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven-thirty," Quinn answered.

"I hope my fathers aren't too worried about me," Rachel commented.

"You called them last night," Quinn reminded her.

"Did I?" Rachel asked.

Quinn laughed and shook her head. "Yes."

"Oh," Rachel said, furrowing her brows. "That's right. Santana tried to take my phone to prank call someone."

"Coach Sylvester," Quinn replied. "You should be glad Brittany stopped her. I'm sure Coach Sylvester would have tracked the number somehow and trust me when I say you don't want that."

"That's a little frightening," Rachel remarked.

She'd heard enough about their former cheerleading coach to know she didn't want her as an enemy. There had been a lot of reminiscing about high school from a drunk Santana, and a lot of it had involved her time on the Cheerios. It had been interesting for Rachel to hear about Quinn's life in high school, though it was hard for her imagine Quinn being the mean head cheerleader that Santana had described her as.

"Black, right?" Quinn said.

"Yes," Rachel smiled, "thank you."

Quinn handed the cup of coffee to Rachel and sat down next to her on the couch. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Rachel replied. "I have a headache, but it's only a minor one. Honestly, I'm a little surprised I don't feel worse; Santana can be very convincing."

"And that's exactly why I didn't want to drink last night," Quinn said.

"At least she stuck to the agreement and didn't push you to drink more than two drinks," Rachel said, running her hand through her hair again, paranoid that it looked terrible.

"Yeah, she was too busy shoving shots at you," Quinn replied.

"Thankfully, I'm used to it," Rachel said. "My friends in New York and my London cast mates often like to go to clubs and bars, so my tolerance has definitely increased over the years. That being said, I still hope it is a while before I have to drink with Santana again." Rachel took a sip of her coffee and then looked over at Quinn. "Does she usually just barge in like that?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Not always, but she and Brittany are definitely the spontaneous type."

"My friends can be the same way," Rachel replied. "Especially Jesse. He usually just shows up at our apartment with some crazy idea about what he wants us all to do. It can be exhausting sometimes, but at the same time, it keeps things interesting."

"He sounds like the male Santana," Quinn said, standing up.

"In some ways, that's a very accurate description," Rachel replied, watching Quinn as she walked into her bedroom. "What time do you have to be at work?"

"Soon," Quinn said, coming back into the living room. "I usually leave around now, actually."

"Oh," Rachel replied, slightly disappointed that they couldn't have breakfast together.

"But you can stay here awhile if you want," Quinn said. "You know, if you want to sleep more. I didn't mean to wake you up; I was going to leave you a note, but then you started moving around."

"Actually, I suppose I should get home," Rachel said, standing. "I'll just change and be on my way."

Quinn nodded. "I'll call you after work."

"Okay," Rachel said, giving Quinn a smile.

Rachel watched as Quinn hesitated for a moment before taking a step forward and quickly kissing her cheek. Rachel ducked her head as her smile grew, glancing up to see a slight blush to Quinn's cheeks.

"I'll go change so you can get to work," Rachel said, the smile never leaving her face as she grabbed her clothes and headed toward the bathroom.

Quinn picked up her ringing phone and sighed as soon as she saw the name on the screen. It said 'parents' but she knew it had to be her mom calling. Her dad almost never called unless it was around her mom's birthday and he was planning something for it. Otherwise, the last time she remembered him calling was right after her engagement to Sam, and even then he only called to get Sam's number to invite him for a round of golf.

It was the first time she thought about ignoring her mother's call and she doubted it would be the last. It was always exhausting talking to her; Quinn usually had to lie or avoid her questions or end up doing something she didn't want to do. And she was getting tired of it. She was tired of having to lie all the time. She had been doing it for as long as she could remember, and she didn't want to have to do it anymore. Unfortunately, it was her only option if she wanted her parents to ever speak to her again.

"Hello," Quinn said after finally answering the phone.

"You should really turn your volume up," Judy said. "It always takes you forever to answer your phone."

"I was in the other room," Quinn lied.

"It seems like you're in the other room a lot," Judy commented. "Maybe you should begin taking your phone with you if you're going to be in there for a while."

"Is there a reason you're calling?" Quinn asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"Cindy called me this afternoon," Judy stated.

"Okay," Quinn replied.

"She told me that Jason called you, but you turned him down for a second date," Judy said. "From everything he told her, you had a wonderful first date, so I was just curious why you wouldn't want to see him again."

"Because it was a terrible first date," Quinn replied.

"Cindy said you two had a lot of fun," Judy said.

"Well, we didn't," Quinn replied. "Maybe he did, but I was bored the whole night."

"Well, that's no reason not to see him again," Judy said. "He's a nice boy; you should give him a second chance."

Quinn sighed. "I don't want to give him a second chance. I'm not interested in Jason, and I don't want to go out with him again. And the fact that he told his mom on me doesn't exactly make me want to change my mind. You're right, he is nice and he's good looking, but I'm just not interested in him. He is the dullest guy I've ever met and nothing could get me to spend another moment of my life with him."

"Quinnie!" Judy said, gasping slightly. "Cindy is a very good friend of the family."

"That doesn't mean I have to go out with her son," Quinn replied. "Besides, I have a date with someone else tomorrow."

"Really?" Judy asked. "Do I know him?"

"I don't think so," Quinn answered.

She'd kept her promise and called Rachel after getting off work. It had been a slow day at work and Rachel had been on her mind all day. She had no idea how long the brunette was going to be in Lima, but she'd decided she didn't want to waste any more time. So, she'd asked Rachel if she'd like to go on a date Friday night. She had been nervous—even though she really had no idea why—but Rachel had immediately agreed.

"Well, what's his name?" Judy asked. "Maybe I know his family."

"I doubt it," Quinn lied.

"Oh, well, is he nice?" Judy asked.

"Yeah," Quinn said, smiling to herself.

"How did you two meet?" Judy asked.

"On the way to London, actually," Quinn said. "We were seated next to each other on the plane. We spent some time together while we were there, and we had a lot of fun together."

"That's nice," Judy replied.

"Yeah, and—" Quinn sighed, "he has family in Lima, so he's visiting for a few weeks, and we thought we would go out."

Quinn rolled her eyes at herself. Every time she lied about Rachel, she felt like a coward. She wished she could have the type of relationship with her parents where she could be honest with them, but she knew that would never happen. Her parents wanted her to settle down with a nice, Christian guy from a good family, and they would never accept Rachel, the Jewish girl with two dads. She hated it, but she knew her parents were never going to change.

"Do you know where he's taking you?" Judy asked.

"I don't know," Quinn replied. "I guess I'll find out tomorrow."

"Well, I should let you go," Judy said. "Your father is going to be home in an hour and I have to get dinner on."

"Tell Daddy I say hi," Quinn replied.

"I want to hear everything about your date," Judy said. "I'll see you at church on Sunday, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Quinn replied.

They said their goodbyes and Quinn threw her phone onto the couch cushion next to her. She had already been thinking about it a lot, but she still wasn't sure where she was going to take Rachel, but she knew she wanted to take her somewhere special. Their date in London had been very low key, and she wanted to do something more extravagant for this one. Nothing crazy, but she knew Rachel was probably a girl who liked grand gestures and she wanted to give that to her. She just didn't know how to do it.

Sam had always been the one to plan their dates, and they usually consisted of them going to Breadstix, followed by the newest superhero movie. Early in their relationship, he'd taken her to a few places that were a little more special, but everything he did was very expected, and Quinn didn't want that with Rachel. She wanted to surprise her. She wanted their date to be memorable.

She wanted their date to be perfect.

"Is this where we're going?" Rachel asked.

She watched as Quinn smiled to herself, clearly enjoying torturing Rachel. Quinn knew she wasn't good with surprises, but yet she refused to give her any hint as to where they were going and it was driving Rachel crazy. Every few minutes she would asked where they were going in hopes of cracking Quinn, but the blonde had refused to answer every time.

"We're going to McKinley?" Rachel asked as Quinn pulled into the parking lot. "We're not watching a football game, are we?"

"No," Quinn said with a laugh. "Thankfully, they have an away game tonight."

"Oh," Rachel replied. "Not that I wouldn't enjoy seeing a football game with you, but no matter how many times Finn tried to explain the concept, I just don't understand the game."

"I can assure you we're not watching football," Quinn said.

"So, what are we doing at your old high school, then?" Rachel asked.

"You'll see," Quinn answered as she put her car in park.

"Fine," Rachel said with a huff, which only made Quinn laugh lightly.

Quinn got out of the car and Rachel followed suit, meeting her at the front of the car, where she looked around curiously. She didn't know what she was expecting to happen since they appeared to be the only two there. After a moment, Quinn took her hand and began leading Rachel forward. And as they neared the football field, Rachel was once again going to ask what they were doing, but she knew Quinn would never answer, so she remained silent.

"Again, I promise we're not watching football," Quinn said as she led her toward the field.

"What are we doing?" Rachel asked as she looked curiously at a large, white sheet that hung toward the far end of the field.

"I wanted to do something—special," Quinn said, rolling her eyes at herself. "But then I remembered we're in Lima and there really isn't a lot to do here."

"Quinn, anything would be fine," Rachel replied. "Really, as long as I'm with you, it would be special." Rachel smiled. "Even a football game."

"You told me when we were talking about Wicked that the Wizard of Oz was one of your favorite movies and you wished you could see it in a theater one day," Quinn stated.

"Yes," Rachel replied, remembering the conversation well.

"Well, since I couldn't exactly find a theater playing it, I thought maybe this would be almost as good," Quinn said, pulling out a remote control.

The lights around the stadium dimmed and then a light came from somewhere else. When Rachel looked over her shoulder, she saw the picture being projected onto the sheet and she finally realized what it was. Quinn had made a gigantic screen, turning the football field into their own personal movie theater.

"How did you do this?" Rachel asked, smiling over at Quinn.

"I asked Coach Sylvester for a favor," Quinn said, shrugging her shoulder. "Considering how many Nationals trophies I helped her win, I figured she owed me."

Rachel smiled only grew as she watched Quinn walk over to a duffle bag sitting on the grass and pull out a blanket, which she spread out on the ground. She then pulled out several pillows, tossing them onto the blanket, and motioned for Rachel to take her seat.

"This is amazing, Quinn," Rachel said, smoothing her skirt down as she sat on the blanket.

She'd never had anyone put so much effort into a date before. She meant it when she said anything they did would be special as long as she was with Quinn, but this was more than special. This was perfect.

"Let me know if you want any popcorn or something to drink," Quinn said as she sat down next to Rachel. "I convinced Sylvester to give me the keys to the concession stand as well."

Rachel laughed. "You seem to be rather good at convincing people."

"I know how to persuade people to get something I want," Quinn said with a slight smirk.

"I don't doubt it," Rachel replied. "And I think I finally understand what Santana was talking about when she said you ruled McKinley. If you could get your former cheerleading coach to do this for you, I can only imagine what it must have been like when you were here."

"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly do things like this then," Quinn said. "It was always more about staying popular."

"Well, I'm certainly glad you're using your powers of persuasion for good now," Rachel joked. "Especially when it benefits me."

Quinn laughed as she grabbed one of the pillows, putting it behind her back, and leaned against it. Despite the fact that the movie had begun playing, Rachel found herself watching Quinn more than the screen. She just couldn't believe anyone had gone through this much trouble for her. Finn usually just took her to dinner and then sometimes a movie or a show of some kind. He had definitely never done anything as extravagant as this.

"Are you going to watch me the whole time?" Quinn asked after a few minutes.

"Maybe," Rachel answered truthfully.

"Well, we could have done that anywhere," Quinn said, looking over at her in amusement.

"That's true, but this is better." Rachel replied, smiling at the blonde.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Quinn asked.

"Maybe in a bit," Rachel said, pausing for a few seconds. "I must admit, I can't believe you actually remembered what I said about wanting to watch this on the big screen."

"Why not?" Quinn asked.

"Because people often don't listen to what I say," Rachel replied. "I suppose I'm just used to it at this point, so when someone does listen, it surprises me."

"Even Finn?" Quinn asked.

"Especially Finn," Rachel replied.

Quinn hummed and had a slight smile on her face as she laid down. Rachel pulled one of the other pillows next to Quinn's and joined Quinn, lying on her back. She looked over at Quinn for a moment and then bumped her shoulder against Quinn's.

"Thank you," Rachel said.

"For what?" Quinn asked, looking over.

Rachel smiled at her and said, "For everything."

"I apologize for being late," Rachel said as soon as Quinn opened the door.

"Three whole minutes," Quinn replied with smile.

"Well, I was going to be here fifteen minutes ago, but I was unfortunately stuck in a construction zone," Rachel said, walking in, and leaning up, giving Quinn's cheek a kiss. "Hi."

"Hey," Quinn replied.

"Whatever you're making smells delicious," Rachel commented. "I would ask what it is, but I know you'll just tell me that I'll see."

"Yep," Quinn said, walking toward the kitchen, leaving Rachel huffing near the door.

"You do like to tease me, don't you?" Rachel asked.

Quinn laughed, reminded of her motto while in the Celibacy Club: it's all about the teasing and not about the pleasing. She shook her head at the memory. It was crazy how much things had changed; especially how much things had changed in the past few months. If someone had told her in high school—or even four months ago—that she would go on a date with the girl standing in front of her, she would have thought they were insane.

"What?" Rachel asked, looking at her.

"Nothing," Quinn said, shaking her head again.

"It doesn't seem like nothing," Rachel replied. "Something is obviously on your mind."

"I was just thinking how much things have changed," Quinn answered. "I broke up with Sam and then I met you." She laughed lightly. "I was so in denial for most of my life. I pushed all my feelings away, and I just never thought I would ever be here."

"Selfish reasons aside, I'm glad you were finally able to get to this point," Rachel said. "No one should have to live like that; everyone should be allowed to be themselves. Life is just too short to be unhappy."

"My mom called this morning," Quinn said, grabbing a spoon, and stirring the sauce that was beginning to bubble. "She wanted to know about my date yesterday."

"What did you tell her?" Rachel wondered.

"I told her most of it, obviously leaving out a few details," Quinn said, rolling her eyes at herself. "She kept talking about how you sounded like such a nice boy and how romantic the date was. She thinks the men are responsible for everything when dating, so I couldn't really tell her I was the one who planned it."

"To be fair, it was very romantic," Rachel replied, smiling.

Quinn gave her a wry smile. "I'm really tired of having to lie to her every time she calls."

"I know, but if you don't feel safe telling her, you shouldn't feel bad about it," Rachel softly said. "If my parents were homophobic and I thought they would remove all association with me if they knew I was bisexual, I would probably do the same thing you're doing. You shouldn't be ashamed of that. This is quite new after all; I'm sure you're still getting used to admitting it to yourself. Just know that I would never push you to tell your family."

Quinn watched Rachel as she spoke, and she couldn't help wondering how she'd been lucky enough to meet this girl. She definitely hadn't done anything in her life to deserve it. She'd been a pretty terrible person for most of it, using people to get what she wanted and treating those she deemed unworthy like shit. Yet somehow she'd been lucky enough for Rachel to come into her life, giving her the push she needed and opening her eyes to the life she could have if she was just brave enough to go for it.

"Oh, speaking of family, my fathers are having a cookout next Saturday and they would love for you to come," Rachel announced. "They also said to bring your friends if you'd like, so feel free to ask Santana and Brittany if they'd like to attend."

"A cookout, huh?" Quinn said.

"It's kind of their last hurrah of the summer," Rachel replied.

"I'll be there," Quinn said.

Rachel smiled. "Really?"

Quinn laughed lightly and said, "I don't know why you're always so surprised when I agree to spend time with you."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, ducking her head.

"Don't be sorry," Quinn replied. "Just—don't be so surprised that I like spending time with you." Quinn smiled and began stirring her sauce again. "Though is it kind of cute."

"Well, then, I guess there is one positive to my insecurity," Rachel said with a smile.

"You have no reason to be insecure, Rachel," Quinn replied.

Rachel stared at her for a moment before looking down again. Quinn set the spoon to the side and put her hand on Rachel's waist, turning the brunette toward her.

"Quinn?" Rachel said, putting her hands on the blonde's shoulders

"Yeah?" Quinn asked.

Rachel opened her mouth, but closed it a moment later, shaking her head. When Rachel looked away again, Quinn brought her free hand up and put it on Rachel's cheek, turning her head. She wanted to tell Rachel how amazing she thought she was, but rather than say anything, Quinn leaned forward, capturing Rachel's lips.

Rachel immediately moved her hands, wrapping her arms around the back of Quinn's neck as the blonde began pushing her backwards When Rachel's back hit the edge of the counter, Quinn leaned against her, leaving little space between their bodies. Rachel let out a moan, catching Quinn slightly off guard, but when Rachel's lips parted, Quinn slid her tongue between them.

Quinn couldn't remember the last time kissing anyone felt so good. Kissing Sam wasn't bad, but she never understood why Santana and Brittany would make out with each other all the time. The more she kissed Rachel, though, the more she understood. She finally felt everything she'd been missing when she was with Sam and it was slightly intoxicating.

"I think something is burning," Rachel said against her lips.

Quinn hummed, not really hearing Rachel at all, but then the brunette pushed on her shoulders and Quinn asked, "What?"

Rachel nodded to the stove and Quinn looked over her shoulder. There was smoke coming from the sauce she'd been previously stirring, and she hurried over, pulling it off the burner.

"I guess we'll be ordering out," Quinn said, looking over at Rachel.

Rachel hummed to herself as she walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her fathers exchange looks, but she wasn't going to let it dampen her good mood.

It had been a long time since she was quite that happy and nothing was going to change it. She'd had a wonderful time at Quinn's the night before and she was about to meet her for brunch. Things were going better than she could have hoped. Though they were not technically in a relationship, she and Quinn were moving forward, and the blonde had made it very clear that she wanted to be more than friends. All of Rachel's fears had completely dissipated, and now she just enjoying her time with Quinn before she had to go back to New York. Unfortunately, that was only in eight days.

She'd thought about extending her stay in Lima, but as tempting as it was, she knew she needed to get back to her life. Her manager had already called her once about a potential new project and then there were her friends, who she had promised she'd only be gone a few weeks. Plus, she didn't want to scare Quinn by moving too fast too soon, and she felt like staying in Lima longer just to be with Quinn may cross that line.

"You're a little dressed up for ten-thirty," Leroy commented.

"I told you, I'm meeting Quinn for brunch," Rachel reminded him.

"You've been spending a lot of time with her," Leroy said. "I mean, you were over at her apartment until nearly midnight."

"Leave her alone," Hiram said, tapping his husband's arm. "She's happy."

"Yes, I am," Rachel replied. "I'm very happy, in fact."

"Which is why I'm concerned," Leroy stated.

"You don't have to be worried," Rachel replied.

"I've heard that before," Leroy said. "And look what happened between you and Finn."

"I'm an adult," Rachel replied. "I don't need you to worry about me anymore."

"You're my daughter; I'll always worry about you," Leroy said. "And I'm worried you're not thinking clearly right now. You two live in entirely different worlds."

Rachel sighed. "You don't think I know that? I know how improbable it is that Quinn and I will work out. We live hundreds of miles apart and she's really just beginning to find herself. Of course, what were the chances of Quinn and I being on the same plane together or that we managed to run into each other again in a city with millions of people? I'm not delusional; I know everything is stacked against us, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. I love her, Daddy." Rachel shook her head. "I think I may have fallen in love with her on the plane, actually."

"I just don't want to see you hurt," Leroy replied. "I know you're an adult, but that doesn't mean I'm going stop wanting to protect you."

"You don't have to protect me from Quinn," Rachel said. "I may have not known her that long, but I do know she would never intentionally hurt me."

"Your father's just worried you're going to jump headfirst without thinking the about the consequences," Hiram said.

"I know the consequences," Rachel replied. "Believe me, I've thought about it a lot. But I'm not going to let that stop me from being happy now. I know things may not work out, but that could be said for any relationship."

"She's right, you know," Hiram said, looking over at Leroy.

"I know," Leroy replied. "And it's not that we don't like Quinn; from everything you've said about her, she sounds like a lovely girl, and I'm happy she makes you happy."

Rachel knew her fathers meant well, but she didn't need them to be worried. She was worried enough herself, and the things they were saying were only making her fears grow. Things were going well now, but she was afraid of what would happen when she was back in New York and Quinn was still in Lima. She was willing to have a long distance relationship, but she didn't know if Quinn would want that, especially when they had only been out a few times. She knew Quinn liked her, but she was afraid that wasn't going to be enough.

"Okay, you've heard what I have to say, so I won't say anything else," Leroy said.

"We really do just want you to be happy," Hiram added.

"She's coming to the cookout, right?" Leroy asked.

"Yes, she's going to be there," Rachel answered.

"Good," Leroy replied. "That'll give us a chance to get to know her a little better."

"Just don't bombard her with questions," Rachel said. "And please don't ask what her intentions are or anything like that."

"Would we really do something like that?" Hiram asked.

"Yes," Rachel replied. "You did it with Finn when you met him."

"Oh, right," Hiram said.

"I know you think it's your fatherly duty, but can you please refrain in this case," Rachel replied. "And don't start calling her my girlfriend or anything. We have yet to define our relationship and I'm sure she would rather it not get back to her parents. Oh, and it's a maybe for Brittany and Santana."

"Are those her friends?" Leroy asked.

"Yes," Rachel replied. "She's going to ask them the next time she speaks with them. Although, I have a feeling they will attend. Santana may not want to, but if Brittany wants to come, Santana will be there as well."

"We were actually wondering something," Hiram said, glancing at Leroy.

"Well, you know we're friends with Burt and Carole, so we were going to invite them to the cookout," Leroy said.

Hiram nodded. "And now that Finn is back living with them—"

"You want to invite him," Rachel said, knowing exactly where they were going. "That's fine. I have no problem with him being there, and it would be rude not to extend an invitation."

"Well, now that that's settled, I'll give Carole a call," Hiram said, standing.

"And I should really go," Rachel said. "I don't want to be late."

"Be careful," Leroy replied.

"I'm just going to brunch," Rachel said.

"Be careful," Leroy repeated.

"I will be," Rachel replied after a moment.

"We're not boring you, are we?" Santana asked as she rolled her eyes.

Quinn's phone had gone off several times, but the three had agreed not to answer their phones. It had been Brittany's idea, and Quinn knew if she looked at her phone that Santana would never let her hear the end of it. Regardless, every time her phone buzzed, she looked over at it, hoping to be able to see who was sending her so many messages.

"Oh my god," Santana said, grabbing Quinn's phone, and tossing it at her. "Just answer the damn thing."

"I thought we agreed not to," Quinn replied.

"Yeah, but you looking over there every two seconds is really making me want to punch you in the face," Santana said.

"It's okay, Quinn," Brittany added.

Quinn looked at her two friends for a moment before looking down at her screen. Just as she was about to look at her messages, though, there was a knock on the door. All three looked toward to the door for a moment before Santana shoved Quinn's shoulder and said, "Jesus, Q, get the damn door."

Quinn stood and walked over toward the door with the phone in her hand. She looked down at it and saw that all the messages were from Rachel, so when she opened the door and found the brunette on the other side, she wasn't surprised. She was surprised, however, when it looked like Rachel had been crying.

"What's wrong?" Quinn immediately asked.

"I know you were having a movie night with Brittany and Santana, but I just—" Rachel shook her head, and Quinn reached out, grabbing her arm, and pulling her into the apartment.

"What happened?" Quinn asked.

"Hey, Rachel," Brittany greeted, waving at her from the couch.

"Hello," Rachel replied with a slight sniff.

"You look like you're going to cry," Brittany said, standing up from the couch, and walking over.

"I'm fine," Rachel replied.

"You don't look fine," Santana said, voicing exactly was Quinn was thanking. "You look like shit, actually."

"Santana, can we not have your input right now," Quinn replied through gritted teeth.

Santana shrugged her shoulder. "I'm just saying."

"Well, don't," Quinn replied.

"I should go," Rachel said, trying to turn around to leave, but Quinn kept a firm grip on her arm.

"No, we'll go," Brittany replied, grabbing Santana's hand.

"I really didn't mean to interrupt," Rachel quietly said.

"It's cool," Santana replied. "This movie's terrible, anyway."

Quinn knew Santana was lying, but it was her way of being nice without appearing to be nice. As Brittany led Santana toward the door, Rachel sniffed again and wiped at her eyes. When she heard the door close behind her, she let go of Rachel's arm, and the brunette turned away from her.

"What happened?" Quinn asked again.

"I, um, I ran into Shelby this morning and we decided to have dinner together," Rachel replied.

"Your mom?" Quinn asked.

"Yes," Rachel replied. "I should have known it would be a mistake."

"What did she do?" Quinn asked as she walked closer to Rachel.

"It wasn't really anything she did," Rachel said, shaking her head. "She just—she always has this way of reminding me of how unwanted I was. It was all I could think about tonight, and I just had to get out of there." Rachel hung her head. "I didn't want to go to my fathers because it's always been a bit of a sore spot with them. I really didn't mean to ruin your night."

"You didn't," Quinn replied.

"Well, I feel like I did," Rachel said. "I ran Santana and Brittany off when you were in the middle of a movie."

"They'll be okay," Quinn replied. "They're not the ones I'm worried about."

"I know I must look terrible right now," Rachel said, giving Quinn a sad smile.

Quinn shrugged as she put her hands on Rachel's hip. "You still look beautiful to me." Rachel lightly laughed and Quinn shook her head. "Okay, that was very corny."

"Maybe, but it was also very sweet," Rachel said, looking up at her.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Quinn asked.

Rachel sighed. "I don't know. I'm probably just overreacting; if you haven't noticed, I tend to do that a lot."

"Or maybe you're not," Quinn replied.

Rachel looked down for a moment and then looked back up at her. "Shelby always just makes me realize what I missed out on. I think of what we could have had if she hadn't decided she didn't want to know me. I don't want to be jealous of Katie, but every time she talks about her, all I can think is that she's probably never talked about me like that. Because we're practically strangers. I love my fathers so much, but I'm always going to regret how things are with me and Shelby. But I also know nothing is ever going to change it."

"Maybe something will change it," Quinn replied.

Rachel shook her head. "I don't think so."

"I figured you could change anything if you put your mind to it," Quinn remarked.

Rachel softly laughed. "I wish that was true. Unfortunately, there are just some things you can't change no matter how much you wish you could." Rachel smiled. "Anyway, if you want to call Santana and Brittany and ask them to come back, I'll leave you alone."

"Or we could maybe watch a movie instead," Quinn said.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked.

"I can see them anytime," Quinn said with a shrug.

"Well, if you're sure, I'd be happy to stay and watch a movie with you," Rachel replied. "It would certainly help take my mind off this evening."

"C'mon, then," Quinn said, entwining her fingers with Rachel's. "You can pick the movie."

"Anything?" Rachel asked.

"Anything," Quinn replied.

"In that case, I know the perfect movie," Rachel said, leaning up, and kissing Quinn's cheek before dragging her toward the couch.

"Rachel?"

Rachel looked over her shoulder. "Finn!"

"Hey," Finn said. "I thought that was you, but I wasn't sure. Kurt told me you were in town."

"Yeah, I've been here a few weeks to visit my fathers," Rachel replied.

"Yeah, that's what Kurt said," Finn said.

"I should—"

"Would you maybe wanna—"

They both laughed and then Rachel said, "You go first."

"I was just going to ask if you wanted to sit down," Finn replied, shrugging his shoulders. "You know, to catch up."

Rachel was going to say that she should go, but she nodded and said, "Sure. That would be nice."

Finn smiled and led her toward an empty table. She could tell he was nervous by the way he kept shuffling his cup of coffee from one hand to the other and how he kept glancing back at her. She couldn't really blame him, though; she was a bit nervous too. They really hadn't spoken since he'd left New York, though Kurt would sometimes tell her what Finn was up to, which he'd obviously been doing with Finn too.

"So, how are you?" Finn asked after they'd both taken their seats.

"I'm good," Rachel said with a smile.

"You look good," Finn replied.

"And how are you?" Rachel asked.

Finn shrugged. "Not bad. I'm still working at Burt's shop, but I'm looking into maybe going to the community college."

"That would be great," Rachel replied. "Maybe you can find what you're really passionate about."

"Hopefully," Finn said. "Hey, I heard you finally got to go to London. I know you always wanted to perform over there. Was it what you always hoped it'd be?"

"And more," Rachel replied, smiling to herself. "I had a wonderful time there. I've always wanted to live in New York City, but if I ever were to move somewhere else, London would definitely be at the top of my list."

"That's cool," Finn said. "I'm glad you liked it there."

"Yeah," Rachel replied, looking down at her coffee, and playing with the lid.

"Are you, um, are you dating anyone?" Finn asked. "Kurt never said, but I doubt he'd tell me if you were."

"I'm kind of seeing someone," Rachel answered, smiling as she thought of Quinn. "We're taking things slowly, but—"

"You're in love," Finn said.

"I-I'm—like I said, we're taking things slowly," Rachel stammered.

"Rachel, I know you," Finn stated as he leaned forward slightly. "We were together for a long time and I know that look. You used to look at me like that, and you got the look on your face when I asked if you were dating anyone. I know I don't always know a lot, but I know you."

Rachel looked down as she said, "Okay, yes. I'm—" Rachel took a deep breath. "I love her. I certainly wasn't looking for anything, but there she was." Rachel looked up. "What about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

"I went on a couple dates with this one girl, but she turned out to be kind of crazy," Finn replied.

"I'm sure you'll find someone soon enough," Rachel said. "You're a good guy, Finn; someone is out there for you who is right for you. Someone who will make you happier than I could."

"Yeah," Finn said. "Honestly, I'm not too worried about it right now. I'm kinda just trying to figure out what I want to do with my life."

"That's probably a good idea," Rachel replied. "Figure out what makes you happy and then you can find someone to share that happiness with."

"So what's this girl's name?" Finn asked.

Rachel opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. Quinn wasn't a very common name and if she knew about Finn, then Finn probably knew about her. She had no idea if Finn and Sam still kept in touch, but she couldn't imagine Quinn being very happy if they were and Finn told her ex.

"Sorry," Finn said. "Forget I asked."

"It's okay," Rachel replied. "It's just that she isn't exactly out to her parents and Lima is a small town."

"She's from here?" Finn asked, furrowing his brows together.

Rachel nodded. "We met in London, but it turned out we grew up in the same town."

"That sounds like some of those movies you always liked to watch," Finn remarked with a lopsided smile.

Rachel laughed lightly. "I suppose it does sound like the plot to some romantic comedy."

"I'm glad you're happy," Finn said. "Really. I mean, we tried and it just didn't work. I love you and maybe I always will, but I get now that we're better off without each other." Finn shrugged. "I want you to be happy even if I'm not the one making you happy. And I know now that I wasn't."

"I appreciate that, Finn," Rachel replied. "And I want the same thing for you. You're my first love; you're always going to have a special place in my heart. I think that's why I held on for so long even though I think we both knew it wasn't working."

"Yeah, we did kinda keep doing the same stupid things over and over," Finn said.

Rachel laughed lightly. "That is very true."

"Can I, like, call you sometimes?" Finn asked. "If it's gonna be a problem or anything just let me know, but there have been a few times I wanted to call you, but I didn't know if I could."

"Of course you can," Rachel replied.

Finn smiled. "Awesome. I mean, I could call Puck, but it's not really the same. He usually just tells me to grow a pair or something, which isn't usually very helpful."

"No, I wouldn't think so," Rachel replied.

"I should go," Finn said. "I was supposed to have been back at the garage ten minutes ago."

Rachel nodded. "It was nice seeing you."

"Yeah," Finn replied, giving her another smile as he stood. "I'll see you Saturday, right? Mom and Burt are going to the cookout, so I figured I'd go. And, you know, free food."

"Yeah," Rachel said, smiling back. "I'll see you Saturday, Finn."

Quinn couldn't help but smile when she heard the knock on her door. They didn't have plans, but she had no doubt that it was probably Rachel who was knocking. If it had been Brittany or Santana, they would have tried to just walk in, and her mom always called before dropping by, which only left Rachel.

Quinn set the plate she was holding in the dishwasher and grabbed a towel, wiping off her hands as she walked toward the door. She looked through the peephole to make sure it was Rachel and not someone trying to get her to buy something. As she guessed, it was Rachel on the other side of the door, looking down the hallway, and fidgeting with the bag in her hands.

"Hi," Rachel said, smiling, as Quinn opened the door.

"Hey," Quinn replied, leaning against the door.

"I hope you're hungry," Rachel said, glancing down at the bag. "My fathers are both working late, so I thought I would bring dinner by."

"You do have a habit of just showing up, don't you," Quinn commented

"I-I could go if you're busy," Rachel said, suddenly looking uncertain.

Quinn shook her head. "I was only joking." She shrugged. "I like when you just stop by."

"Does that mean you're hungry, then?" Rachel asked, stepping closer to Quinn.

"Yeah," Quinn answered.

Rachel smiled and Quinn leaned down, giving her a quick kiss. When she pulled back, Rachel's smile grew, and the brunette ducked her head slightly. When Rachel looked back up at her, she leaned forward. For a moment, Quinn thought Rachel was going to kiss her, but instead of bringing their lips together, Rachel wrapped her arm around the blonde's neck, hugging her. And slowly, Quinn put her arms around Rachel's waist as Rachel rested her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"I missed you," Rachel whispered before pulling away. "I know I just saw you the other night, but I missed you yesterday."

Quinn looked at her for a moment, wanting to tell her she missed her too. Instead, Quinn glanced down and asked, "What did you bring?"

"Pizza," Rachel replied. "And salad, of course. My fathers informed me of a new Italian restaurant that offers several vegan friendly options, so I thought I would try it out." Rachel looked over her shoulder as she began walking toward the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Quinn said, following the brunette.

She watched as Rachel grabbed two plates from the cabinet and the pulled two bottles of water out of the fridge. Quinn silently held her hand out and Rachel passed the bottles to her before pulling open the drawer and picking two forks.

"I'm sure they provided plastic utensils, but I much prefer the real thing," Rachel remarked. "Do you mind if we eat at the table."

Quinn shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter to me."

Rachel nodded and then the two walked toward Quinn's small dining room table. As Rachel began setting everything on it, Quinn watched her closely. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something was off with Rachel. She wondered if it had to do with Shelby, but Rachel had seemed perfectly normal by the time she left the apartment the other night.

"Hey," Quinn softly said, gaining Rachel's attention. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine," Rachel answered.

Quinn's eyebrow rose. "Is it really?"

"I talked to Finn yesterday," Rachel said with a sigh.

"Oh," Quinn said, her stomach instantly clenching.

"He's coming to the cookout and he knows I'm sort of seeing someone," Rachel continued. "I didn't tell him who, but if you're both there on Saturday, he's probably going to figure it out. And since you said he and Sam know each other—"

"That's what you're worried about?" Quinn asked as relief washed over her.

"Well, yes," Rachel said. "I know you don't want your parents to find out, and I also assumed you would rather Sam not know. I supposed I could ask Finn not to say anything."

"Rachel, it's fine," Quinn replied. "I doubt Sam would say anything even if Finn told him. He knows how my parents are and he knows Santana would make him regret it."

"I must admit I'm relieved," Rachel said. "I thought you would more upset."

"Actually, I'm kind of relieved too," Quinn admitted. "I thought you were going to tell me you and Finn were getting back together."

"What?" Rachel asked. "Quinn, I—I would never get back together with Finn."

"It's not like you don't have a history with him," Quinn replied.

"Yes, and it's exactly that—history," Rachel said, walking over to her, and shaking her head slightly. "He isn't my future, Quinn."

"Good," Quinn replied.

Rachel smiled slightly as she asked, "Were you really worried?"

"The pizza's going to get cold if we don't eat it soon," Quinn said, wanting nothing more than to change the subject.

"Fine, but don't think I don't know exactly what you're doing, Quinn Fabray," Rachel replied.

Rachel gave her a soft smile before continuing to set everything out on the table. As Quinn watched her neatly put everything on the table, she couldn't help feeling grateful toward Rachel. She never pushed her or asked too many questions even when she obviously wanted to.

"Do you want Caesar dressing or Italian?" Rachel asked.

"Italian is fine," Quinn answered.

"I thought you may say that, so I brought extra in case you want to take any to work tomorrow." Rachel said with a smile.

"Thanks," Quinn replied, a little surprised.

Rachel nodded. "You're welcome."

Quinn locked eyes with Rachel for a moment before looking down. Every time they were together, she would remind herself that their time together was rapidly approaching an end. Rachel would be back in New York in less than a week and where would that leave them?

"Are you alright?" Rachel asked.

Quinn hummed as she looked up. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Did you ever find out if those two girls were coming to the cookout?" Hiram asked.

"Quinn said Santana and Brittany will both be there," Rachel said with a nod.

"Is there anything you want to add to the list?" Hiram asked.

"I'm sure you've remembered everything," Rachel said as she opened the fridge.

Leroy snorted. "He forgot the hamburger and hot dog buns earlier."

"Well, in that case, maybe I should look over the list," Rachel remarked as she grabbed the orange juice from the fridge.

"Chips," Hiram said as he began scribbling on the piece of paper.

"You forgot the chips?" Rachel asked.

"Let me have that," Leroy said, taking the list from Hiram. "There will be a riot at the cookout if you keep this up, and I don't want to have to run to the store while I'm trying to grill the food."

"Make sure you get strawberry ice cream," Rachel instructed.

"Why strawberry?" Hiram asked. "You hate strawberry ice cream."

"I know, but it's Quinn's favorite," Rachel replied as she poured some orange juice into a glass.

"Well, then, I'll add it the list," Leroy said.

"Thank you," Rachel replied, giving him a smile.

"So—how are things going between you and Quinn?" Leroy asked.

"Everything is fine," Rachel replied.

"She's okay with you leaving in a few days?" Leroy asked.

"We actually haven't talked about that very much," Rachel answered.

"You could always stay longer," Hiram remarked.

"I wish I could, but I need to get back to my life in New York," Rachel replied. "Plus, Kurt will probably steal my room if I stay any longer."

"Well, anytime you want to come back, you know we'll be happy to have you," Leroy said. "And maybe with Quinn here, you'll come home a little more."

"I would love to come back more, but my manager is already talking about some new musical that she thinks I would be perfect for," Rachel replied.

"Then I guess we'll just have to visit you, instead," Hiram said.

"Like maybe on opening night," Leroy added.

Rachel smiled. With the exception of her West End debut, her fathers had been to every opening night, which was something she was very thankful for. She was always a little nervous before going on stage for the first time, and just knowing they were there seemed to always make her feel a little better.

"Let me know when dinner is ready," Rachel said. "I'm going to be in my room."

"It'll be a while," Leroy replied.

"That's fine," Rachel said. "I'm not particularly hungry at the moment.

"Well I am," Hiram remarked. "How long is a while?"

Rachel laughed and shook her head as she began walking out of the kitchen. Even as she walked past the living room and toward the stairs, she could hear their good-natured bickering. As she started walking up the stairs to the second floor, though, the doorbell rang, silencing her fathers.

"I'll get it," Rachel called out, turning, and heading back down the stairs.

She hopped down the last step and glanced out the window to find Quinn on the other side of the door. Smiling to herself, she opened the door with a, "Hello."

"Hey," Quinn greeted. "I hope you don't mind that I just stopped by, but Santana cancelled on me, so my evening suddenly became free."

"Not at all," Rachel replied, stepping to the side. "Come in. Why did Santana cancel? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Quinn said, rolling her eyes as she walked into the house. "She just decided she didn't want to go even though it was her idea. I'm not surprised; it's not the first time it's happened and I'm sure it won't be the last."

"Well, I can't say I'm too disappointed that she cancelled," Rachel replied, smiling up at her.

"Neither was I," Quinn said with a slight smirk.

"Who was it?" Hiram called out.

"It's Quinn," Rachel called back. "We'll be up in my room."

"Okay," Hiram hollered back.

"Come on," Rachel said, reaching over, and taking Quinn's hand. "Hopefully my fathers won't be too nosy if we're up there."

"Are they usually?" Quinn asked.

"Yes," Rachel replied with a huff. "Anytime I had Finn over, even after we were both adults, my fathers would always find a reason to knock on the door. I tired to explain that there was no reason to constantly interrupt us; it wasn't as if I was going to sleep with Finn when they were downstairs."

"That would be a little awkward," Quinn remarked as Rachel opened the door.

"At least they didn't just barge in," Rachel replied, closing the door behind her. "Although, if I hadn't answered the door fairly quickly I'm sure they would have." She shook her head. "I love them, but they can be a handful sometimes."

"My parents wouldn't even let me have a boy in my room until I was eighteen," Quinn said. "Or Brittany and Santana once they found out they were together. I guess my parents thought they were going to try to turn me into one of them or something crazy. Little did they know, I already was, but I was doing a wonderful job of being in denial."

"When did you know?" Rachel wondered.

Quinn shrugged as she walked over and sat on Rachel's bed. "I don't really know. I would just get fixated on some girl; at first I thought I was jealous or that I wanted to be like her. The first time I really felt attracted to a girl, I completely panicked and convinced myself it was something else. The next week I started dating this boy from my church." Quinn looked up at her. "I think the first time I truly and freely admitted it to myself was after I met you. Like I said, I did a wonderful job of being in denial."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that," Rachel said.

"I'm not," Quinn replied after a moment. "If I hadn't, I probably wouldn't be here."

"I suppose that's true," Rachel said, giving Quinn a soft smile.

"Is Quinn going to stay for dinner?" Leroy asked through the door.

Rachel rolled her eyes and looked at Quinn, who shrugged. "Actually, I think Quinn and I are going to go out for dinner."

"Alright," Leroy replied.

"What did I tell you?" Rachel said with a huff.

"This looks like a good one," Rachel said, plucking the onion out of the box, and placing it in her basket. "What else do we need?"

Quinn looked down at her list. "Tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, oregano, broccoli and peppers."

"I'm sure we can find those here somewhere," Rachel said, standing on the tips of her toes, and looking around. "You know, I still can't believe there's a farmer's market here. I've been telling my fathers for years how I wish someone would start one. I don't know why they failed to inform me of its existence."

"To be fair, it only came in this year," Quinn replied.

"Regardless, they should have told me the moment it opened," Rachel stated. "Or at least when I arrived in town."

Quinn smiled as she shook her head at the brunette. Since they arrived, Rachel had been like a kid in a candy store as she marveled over everything. They really didn't have a lot to get—Quinn was just making vegetable lasagna—but Rachel had been stopping at every booth and throwing things into her basket that they really didn't need. If it had been anyone else, Quinn knew she would have found it annoying, but with Rachel, she just found it cute.

"These would make a great dessert," Rachel said, looking over some berries, and then looking over at Quinn. "I know how to make an amazing vegan shortcake."

"Quinn!"

The blonde froze the moment she heard her mother's voice and then slowly turned around to face her. "Hi, mom."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rachel look at her before looking back at Judy. As she stood there, she felt like everything was written on her face. That she and Rachel were out buying ingredients so they could go back to her apartment, where they were going to have a dinner date.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Judy remarked. "I thought you said you were going to spend the night in."

"I was, but then Rachel called, and we decided to come here," Quinn lied.

"I'm guessing you're Rachel," Judy said, looking over at the brunette.

"Hello," Rachel replied, holding her hand out. "I'm Rachel Berry. It's very nice to meet you."

"Berry," Judy said. "Are you from around here?"

Quinn's heart was racing; she knew if Rachel said the wrong thing that her mother would become suspicious. Of course, she didn't know if her mother would put two and two together or if she would ignore it like everything else she didn't want to think about.

"I grew up in Lima, yes," Rachel replied.

"Did you and Quinn go to school together?" Judy asked.

Rachel glanced at Quinn before saying, "No. I attended Lima Senior High School." Rachel glanced over at her again and then looked back at Judy with a smile. "My ex-boyfriend and Quinn's ex-fiancé were friends."

Quinn breathed a slight sigh of relief when Rachel didn't mention London or meeting on the plane. Thankfully, she'd told Rachel about her conversation with her mom and the brunette had actually listened to what she'd said. And Quinn was slightly impressed that Rachel had managed to lie without actually lying.

"I'm surprised Quinn's never mentioned you before," Judy commented, looking over at Quinn.

"Oh, well, we just recently started spending a little more time together," Rachel replied.

"Yeah, we've known each other a while, but I was always busy with Sam, so I didn't have a lot of free time," Quinn said.

"That's nice, dear," Judy replied. "I'll let you get back to your shopping." She leaned over, giving Quinn a quick hug. "Your father and I will see you Sunday."

"Yeah," Quinn said.

Quinn smiled to cover up her lie. She knew she wouldn't be at church that weekend; Rachel would be leaving the day after and she was planning on spending as much time as she could with her. She wasn't going to let her mom know that, though. She knew she would never hear the end of it if she did, and she would rather listen to her mother complaining over the phone rather than in person. At least that way she could ignore her a little easier.

"Goodbye, dear," Judy said. "It was nice to meet you, Rachel."

"It was great meeting you, too," Rachel said with a smile.

"Bye," Quinn replied.

"So that's your mom," Rachel remarked once Judy was out of earshot.

"Yeah," Quinn replied, looking down for a moment, and then looking over at Rachel. "Thanks."

"For what?" Rachel asked, frowning slightly. "It's not as if I lied; I simply let her come to her own conclusions."

"I know, but thank you," Quinn replied.

"Well, I know how worried you are about your parents knowing," Rachel said, reaching out, and squeezing Quinn's hand. "I wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize your relationship with them."

Quinn looked over her shoulder to make sure her mother was gone, and then turned back to Rachel and quickly kissed her lips. Rachel looked a little surprised for a moment, and then she smiled shyly, ducking her head. Quinn looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed the little public display of affection or they at least didn't seem to care.

"We should probably get the rest of these groceries," Rachel said.

Quinn nodded and Rachel began walking. She stopped after a moment, though, and offered her free hand to Quinn, who took it after only a moment's hesitation.

"You know, I think this will be the first time anyone's ever cooked for me," Quinn commented as they began walking toward a booth that sold tomatoes.

"Really?" Rachel asked. "Sam never cooked for you?"

Quinn shook her head. "Sam wouldn't even cook for himself."

"I love cooking for my boyfriends and girlfriends," Rachel replied. "Not that you're my girlfriend or anything. I mean, we haven't exactly discussed our relationship status and I wouldn't want to assume anything."

"Rachel," Quinn said, looking over at her.

"Yes?" Rachel asked, looking back.

"Is that what you want?" Quinn asked.

"There's nothing I want more, but I know we're taking things slowly, and I didn't want to push you into anything you weren't comfortable with," Rachel replied. "Plus, I'm leaving soon, so I know everything is a little uncertain at the moment."

"That's true, but even if things are uncertain right now," Quinn smiled, "I do know I want that, too."

"You do?" Rachel asked.

Quinn laughed lightly and shook her head. "Why do you always sound so surprised?"

Rachel shrugged and said, "I guess I just don't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed. Not when it's something I really want." Rachel cleared her throat. "These tomatoes look good."

"Yeah," Quinn replied, never taking her eyes off Rachel. "Put them in the basket. Then we can go back to my apartment, so my girlfriend can cook for me."

Rachel smiled as she picked out several of the tomatoes and placed them in the basket before taking Quinn's hand again and entwining their fingers together as she led her to the next booth.

"Rachel!"

The wind was nearly knocked out of Rachel as Brittany ran at her, wrapping her arms around the brunette. Next to her, she could hear Leroy laughing as Brittany lifted Rachel off her feet in the kind of hug Finn sometimes gave her when he was being goofy.

"Hello, Brittany," Rachel said as the other girl put her feet back onto the ground.

"What a quaint little party," Santana said, walking over to Rachel and Brittany with her arms crossed over her chest. "Please tell me there's some booze around this joint."

"There are wine coolers and beer in the red cooler," Rachel replied.

"Wine coolers and beer?" Santana asked with a scoff, getting a nudge in the side from Brittany. "Whatever. Where's Q?"

"Quinn isn't here yet, but I'm sure she'll be here soon," Rachel answered.

"Is the food ready?" Brittany asked. "I'm really hungry."

"The hot dogs are done and the hamburgers should be ready in about two minutes," Leroy answered.

"Awesome," Brittany replied, giving Leroy a smile. "They smell really great."

"That would be the Berry Family Secret Recipe," Leroy said, smiling back.

"It's not much of a secret," Rachel commented.

"No daughter of mine is going to betray this family," Leroy said, holding up his hand.

"Then you're in luck, because Quinn just got here," Rachel said before heading toward the blonde.

Rachel couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face the moment she saw Quinn. Really, it had almost been permanently fixed on her face since the previous afternoon. She had been so nervous when talking to Quinn about their relationship, and especially when she'd admitted aloud that she wanted the blonde to be her girlfriend. When Quinn actually said the word in reference to her, though, she was so happy that she felt like her heart was going to burst in her chest.

"Quinn, hi," Rachel greeted.

"Hey," Quinn said, giving her a smile. "I'm surprised Brittany and Santana are already here. They're never on time for anything."

"They've only been here a minute or two," Rachel replied.

As much as she wanted to give Quinn a kiss, there were quite a few people around. So, instead, Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck in a brief hug and then pulled away, taking a step back to give the blonde her space.

"I'm really glad you're here," Rachel said.

Quinn smiled. "Me too."

"My father has the hot dogs ready if you'd like one and the hamburgers will be done any moment," Rachel informed her. "The drinks are in the coolers; the red one has the alcoholic drinks and the one on the far right contains the bottles of water. Everything else is on the table over there."

"I think I'll go get something to drink," Quinn said. "Do you want anything?"

Rachel shook her head. "I'm fine, but let me get it for you."

"No, no, I can get it," Quinn replied. "I'll be right back."

Quinn gave her a smile before turning and walking across the backyard. Before Quinn made it to the refreshment table, though, she was intercepted by her friends. Rachel could see her visibly sigh before she looked over her shoulder, giving Rachel an apologetic smile.

"Hey, Rachel."

Rachel turned around at the greeting and smiled when she saw Finn with his mom and step-dad. "Hello, Mr. Hummel."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Burt?" he asked.

"It's good to see you," Carole said, giving her a hug.

"I know," Rachel replied as she returned the hug. "It's been awhile."

"Hey," Finn said with a smile.

"Hello, Finn," Rachel replied.

"We're going to go say hello to your fathers, but I definitely want to catch up later," Carole said.

"That would be wonderful," Rachel replied with a nod.

"It looks like they're more people here than usual," Finn commented as Burt and Carole walked away.

"Yes, Daddy invited a few people from work that he doesn't usually invite and a few of my cousins were in town, so they came," Rachel said as she looked around.

"Hey, who's that girl?" Finn asked, and Rachel looked over to find him pointing toward Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. "The blonde one on the right." Finn frowned slightly. "Did we go to school with her or something?"

"No, that's, um, that's Quinn," Rachel answered.

"Quinn?" Finn said, frowning slightly. "Hey, was she the one Sam was dating?"

"I never met Sam, but yes, that's her," Rachel replied.

"What's she doing here?" Finn asked. "Are you two friends?"

"We are, yes," Rachel replied.

"Huh," Finn said. "I actually ran into Sam a few weeks ago and he said she dumped him. They were even engaged."

"She broke up with him because he cheated on her," Rachel stated.

"Really?" Finn asked. "Sam didn't mention that part."

"Imagine that," Rachel replied.

"Hey," Quinn said from behind her. "Sorry about that. Brittany wanted to show me a picture of some cat they're thinking about getting."

"That's alright," Rachel replied. "Quinn, this is Finn; Finn, this is Quinn."

Quinn nodded. "Hey."

"Hey," Finn awkwardly replied.

Rachel glanced between the two as everyone fell silent; Finn looked a little confused while Quinn just looked uncomfortable. She knew it had to be weird for Quinn; she knew it would be weird for her if it was Sam standing there instead of Finn.

"I think the hamburgers are ready," Rachel announced as she saw Leroy take them off the grill.

"I'll have to get me one in a bit," Finn replied.

"I'm going to go see what Brittany and Santana are doing," Quinn said.

"Quinn, wait," Rachel said, reaching out for her hand.

"It's okay," Quinn replied, squeezing her hand. "You talk to Finn; I'll find you when you're done."

"Wait," Finn said, furrowing his brows. "Is she—are you dating Sam's ex-girlfriend?"

"Quinn and I are in a relationship, yes," Rachel answered.

"Wow," Finn replied. "I never would have guessed. Wait, does Sam know?"

"He doesn't, and I'm sure Quinn would prefer for you not to tell him, either," Rachel said. "Please, Finn."

"Okay, I won't say anything," Finn replied. "I promise." Finn motioned toward the grill. "I think I'm gonna go get a burger before they're all gone."

Rachel smiled at him. "Thank you, Finn."

"It's no problem," Finn said with a shrug.

"What do you think about Love Actually?" Rachel asked, looking up at her.

"I told you, it doesn't matter to me," Quinn replied.

Rachel huffed. "It's difficult to choose a movie when you won't give me your opinion on anything."

"Love Actually is fine," Quinn said. "I've never watched it before, so—"

"You've never watched it?!" Rachel asked with a gasp. "Well, then that's settled."

Quinn smiled to herself and asked, "I guess you really like that movie?"

"It's one of my favorites," Rachel replied. "Kurt, Tina, and I watch it at least twice a year."

Quinn really didn't care what they watched because she knew she wouldn't really be able to concentrate on any movie. Not with Rachel resting on her the way she was.

"Are you comfortable?" Rachel asked, looking up at her again.

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

Truthfully, it wasn't the most comfortable position she'd ever been in, but it would be fine for a while. Rachel was practically using her as a body pillow, resting her head on Quinn's shoulder with her arm wrapped around the blonde's abdomen. Quinn didn't mind, though; in fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so content just lying on the couch with someone.

"I really think you'll like this movie," Rachel commented.

Quinn hummed as she absentmindedly ran her fingers along Rachel's side while the beginning of the movie started playing on the screen. She could feel Rachel smile against her as soon as Hugh Grant's voice came through the speakers. After a moment, the brunette snuggled even closer to her and she placed a kiss to Quinn's throat.

"I have very fond memories of that airport," Rachel said.

Quinn smiled. "You too?"

"Although, I hated having to say goodbye to you," Rachel said as she began playing with Quinn's fingers. "I think tomorrow's going to be even harder." Rachel looked up at her. "We—we haven't really talked about it. You know, what's going to happen after I'm back in New York."

Quinn sighed. "I haven't really wanted to think about it."

"I know, but we can't deny that I'm leaving tomorrow," Rachel replied. "We need to discuss what's going to happen to us."

"Rachel—"

"I know long distance relationships are hard, but I'm more than willing to try it," Rachel interrupted as she sat up. "It isn't going to be easy for either of us, but I think we're worth it. I-I really like you, Quinn."

"Rachel, I'm not arguing," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"So, you're okay with continuing this relationship?" Rachel asked.

"I wouldn't have called you my girlfriend if we were just going to break up when you left," Quinn replied.

Rachel smiled. "You have no idea how relieved I am. I was so afraid you would think a long distance relationship was a terrible idea."

"Maybe it will be, but not trying sounds even worse," Quinn said, putting her hands on Rachel's waist, and pulling her forward.

"I agree completely," Rachel replied, leaning forward, and softly kissing Quinn.

When Rachel began to pull away, Quinn wrapped her hand around the back of the brunette's neck, pulling her back. Rachel smiled against her lips before opening her mouth and running her tongue lightly along Quinn's lips. Quinn moaned slightly at the action and tangled her tongue with Rachel's. And as Rachel began to pull away again, Quinn wanted to protest, but instead of pulling away completely, Rachel just shifted her body.

Rachel swung her leg to the other side of Quinn, so she was straddling the blonde. Grinning down at Quinn, Rachel brought their lips together again in a hungry kiss that had Quinn wondering how she ever thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with Sam.

After a moment, Rachel pulled back slightly and began kissing her way along Quinn's jawline and down to her neck. When Rachel sucked lightly on her earlobe, Quinn bit down on her lip to keep from moaning again. As Rachel did it again, though, Quinn couldn't stop her body's reaction. She let out a gasp and gripped Rachel's hip, trying to keep her hand from roaming.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked softly into her.

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

Rachel placed one last, slow kiss on Quinn's neck before pulling back just enough to look at her. "Don't worry, Quinn. I know we're not ready for that yet."

Rachel was right; she definitely wasn't ready to have sex yet. In fact, Quinn felt herself blushing at the mention of it at all. Even with Brittany and Santana as her best friends, talking about it still made her uncomfortable. It wasn't surprising considering how she was raised, though; her parents always acted like it was something dirty.

"About that," Quinn quietly said.

"It's okay," Rachel said, shaking her head. "I know you're still learning to accept yourself and that this is all new for you. I know Sam is the only person you've ever been with, and you certainly don't have to worry about me pushing you into something you're not comfortable with. And if you ever are feeling uncomfortable, simply tell me. I can assure you it's not going to hurt my feelings."

"Sam and I—we only had sex once," Quinn admitted.

"Really?" Rachel asked, obviously surprised.

"I made the mistake of getting drunk at a party," Quinn replied. "We both did. I barely even remember it. Sam wanted it to happen again after that, but I guess it was easier to pretend everything was okay if I didn't have to sleep with him. So, I told him I still wanted to wait until we were married even if we slipped up once."

Rachel nodded. "I'm sorry you didn't have a great first time."

"Maybe I'll have a better second time," Quinn said with a shrug, hoping she wasn't blushing too badly.

Rachel smiled. "We should probably restart the movie."

Quinn leaned up, giving Rachel one last kiss, before pulling away and saying, "Probably."

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" Rachel asked before taking a sip of her coffee. "You know, since you don't have to go to work."

Quinn shrugged. "I'll probably finish that book I started weeks ago."

Rachel smiled. "I suppose that's my fault for monopolizing so much of your time."

"I'm not complaining," Quinn replied.

"Good, because I'm not really that sorry," Rachel said with a laugh.

"What are you going to do once you're back in New York?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know," Rachel replied. "I'd like to spend a quiet night at the apartment, but I'm sure my friends already have something planned for this evening, and they're hard to say 'no' to."

"That sounds familiar," Quinn remarked.

Rachel laughed lightly. She knew Quinn was talking about what happened with Brittany and Santana that morning. She and Quinn had planned on going to breakfast just the two of them, but then Quinn's friends had shown up. Brittany had wanted to spend some time with Rachel before she left and neither she nor Quinn had the heart to decline. So, instead of it just being her and Quinn, the four of them had gone to breakfast.

"I'm going to miss your friends, though," Rachel said.

"Even Santana?" Quinn asked.

"Yes, even Santana," Rachel replied. "I won't necessarily miss her comments about my height, but I really like your friends."

"Maybe you can take them with you," Quinn joked.

"You know you would miss them if they weren't there," Rachel replied.

Quinn shrugged, but Rachel knew the blonde well enough to know her friends meant a lot to her. Just like she may complain about Jesse on occasion, but she wouldn't trade him for the world. Her friends were like her family, and she knew Quinn was the same way even if she wouldn't admit it.

"What time is it?" Quinn asked when Rachel glanced at the clock.

"It's almost noon," Rachel replied.

"You need to go, don't you?" Quinn asked.

"I-I still have some time," Rachel replied.

"Come on," Quinn said, standing up.

Rachel sighed; she really didn't want to leave the little airport coffee shop. As long as she was sitting there, she could pretend for a moment that she wasn't about to get on a plane and leave Ohio. That she wasn't going to have to leave Quinn.

As they walked out of the coffee shop, Rachel looked over at Quinn. She wanted to ask her if she was okay, but she knew Quinn would only say she was fine. She'd asked her several times already and she always got the same answer. She wanted Quinn to not be fine, though. Not that she wanted to be miserable, but Rachel was far from fine. She didn't want to say goodbye and she wanted to know that Quinn didn't want to say goodbye, either.

"It looks like my flight is still on time," Rachel commented as she looked up at the arrival and departure times.

It was probably the first time she'd been sad to see her flight was leaving on time. Usually she was annoyed at having to wait when she could have been doing more important things. This time, though, she would have welcomed delaying saying goodbye to Quinn. They still had a little time, but soon she would have to go where Quinn wasn't allowed without a boarding pass.

"You really don't have to carry that," Rachel said, looking over at Quinn, who had her carry-on bag.

Quinn shrugged. "It's not that heavy."

"I know, but—"

"Rachel!" Quinn said, shaking her head, and smiling.

"Okay, I promise not to say another word about you carrying my bag," Rachel relented.

"Thank you," Quinn replied.

Rachel smiled and reached out for Quinn's free hand. She laced their fingers together, giving Quinn's hand a gentle squeeze, and they slowly began walking forward. With every step, Rachel's heart began to sink more and more. She knew their time was rapidly coming to an end and there was nothing she could do to delay it any longer. If she did, she would probably miss her flight, and while the thought was tempting, she knew she needed to get back to her life.

"Quinn," Rachel softly said, pulling the blonde to a stop when she saw the line she needed to get in.

Quinn sighed. "I know."

"I'm going to miss you," Rachel said, looking up at the other woman, and then pulling her into a hug.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Quinn replied as she dropped Rachel's bag, and wrapped her arms around the brunette.

Rachel smiled despite the fact that tears were starting to form in her eyes. "I'll call you as soon as I land." Rachel sniffed. "And I want you to let me know when you make it home safely, okay?"

"Hey," Quinn softly said, pulling back, and wiping away the tears that were falling down Rachel's cheek.

"You know me; I'm very dramatic," Rachel joked. "It wouldn't be a proper airport goodbye without a few tears." She sighed and looked toward the line. "I should go or I'm going to miss my flight."

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again before we know it," Rachel said. "So this isn't really goodbye."

Rachel leaned up, bringing their lips together as she tried to keep her tears at bay. The kiss was soft but lingering, and Rachel wished it never had to end. She had no idea when she would be able to feel Quinn's lips on hers again, and she shut her eyes as she tried to memorize the feeling. After a moment, though, Rachel pulled back slightly and ran her thumb along Quinn's bottom lip.

"I don't want to go," Rachel admitted

"Me either," Quinn replied, giving Rachel one last kiss. "But you have to."

Rachel nodded and looked down. When she looked back up, she opened her mouth for a moment before closing it and looking away again.

"What is it?" Quinn asked.

"I love you, Quinn," Rachel quickly said before she lost her nerve. "You-you don't have to say anything back. I just wanted you to know before I left."

Rachel leaned up and kissed Quinn's cheek before turning around and grabbing her bag. As she began walking away, she looked over her shoulder. Quinn was staring at her with an unreadable expression, and Rachel wondered if she'd made a mistake by telling her. After a moment, she looked away and took a deep breath. Even if it had been a mistake, there was nothing she could do about it now. And even if she could, she wasn't sure that she'd want to take it back.

"Quinnie, there you are!" Judy said as she opened the door. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it."

"Sorry, there was more traffic than I was expecting," Quinn replied.

"Well, come on in," Judy said, stepping to the side. "Everyone's in the den."

Quinn followed behind her mother, preparing herself for a night of invasive questions and thinly veiled insults, both from her parents and her parents' friends. She had no idea who was there, but it was always the same. At least before she had Sam there to help her make it through the night, but now that they were no longer together, she knew it would be the topic of conversation all evening.

"Look who's finally here!" Judy announced as she walked into the den.

"There's my girl," Russell said, walking over to her, and giving her a hug.

"Hi, Daddy." Quinn replied. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you, thank you," Russell said with a laugh. "Your mother sure does know how to throw a party, doesn't she?"

Quinn smiled back but didn't say anything. It looked as if everyone at the party was from their church, and they were all standing around the room talking. The room was fairly quiet except for the murmur of conversation and the classical music that was softly playing in the background.

"Why don't I take that and add it to the rest," Judy said, taking the present Quinn had brought, and walking off with it.

"I see someone I need to talk to," Russell said, looking across the room. "We'll catch up later."

As her father walked away, Quinn pulled her phone out and glanced at the screen. She only had one new text, though, and it was from Brittany. Rachel had been unusually quiet, but Quinn assumed she was just settling back into her life in New York. And it wasn't as if Rachel hadn't called or texted at all; just less than Quinn was expecting considering how things ended with them at the airport. Rachel hadn't even mentioned it once, and Quinn was still processing everything, so she hadn't brought it up, either.

"Quinn, hi."

Quinn stashed her phone as she turned around. "Hi, Denise. Hello, Helen."

"We've missed you at church," Denise said.

"Your mother said you've been working a lot," Helen added.

"Yeah, I've been a little busy lately," Quinn replied.

"Can we expect to see you this Sunday?" Denise asked.

Quinn gave her a false smile. "Of course."

Truthfully, Quinn hadn't been attending church lately because so much had changed for her and now she needed to figure out how everything fit into her life again. It wasn't that her beliefs had suddenly changed, but she knew if anyone at her church found out about her and Rachel that they would turn their backs on her. It wasn't the most progressive church and she'd overheard many conversations discussing how homosexuality was a sin. The thought of being around a bunch of people who would suddenly feel differently about her the moment they found out about her relationship was just too much for her at the moment.

"Quinn, I don't know if you remember my son, Kyle," Helen said, pulling him toward her as he tried to walk by.

"Kind of," Quinn replied. "Hi."

"Hey," he said.

"Well, Helen and I were just headed to get some refreshments," Denise said.

"Yes, we'll leave you two to catch up," Helen replied.

"Boring party," Kyle said after a few moments.

Quinn couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah."

"And could they be any more obvious?" he asked.

"I doubt it," Quinn replied.

"Maybe if we talk a while, my mom won't try to set me up with anyone else tonight," Kyle said, looking over at her. "And don't worry; I'm already dating someone. My mom just refuses to acknowledge it, so she tries to set me up with just about every girl she knows."

"So am I," Quinn admitted. "We kind of just started dating, actually."

"So the news hasn't made the rounds yet," Kyle said with a nod. "Lord knows gossip travels fast at that church."

"Yeah," Quinn replied with a sigh.

Kyle frowned slightly as he looked across the room. "I guess you haven't even told your parents yet?"

"Why?" Quinn asked.

"Because my mom is over there with them and they all keep looking over here," Kyle said.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I should have known." She paused for a moment. "No, I haven't told them and I'm not going to."

"Not someone they would approve of?" Kyle asked, and Quinn shook her head. "I know how you feel; I'm sure they'd think David was perfect if he was a she."

"You have a boyfriend?" Quinn said.

She was a little surprised; she hadn't heard anything about it, but then again, she knew she shouldn't be too surprised. It was just the type of thing her parents' friends would keep hushed up. If she ever came out to her parents, she knew they would probably do the exact same thing. They couldn't have it reflecting badly on the Fabray name.

"I do," Kyle replied. "What about you? What's wrong with your boyfriend?"

"I—" Quinn cleared her throat. "Girlfriend, actually."

"Say no more, then," Kyle replied.

Despite the fact that she knew Kyle wouldn't judge her, Quinn's heart was pounding and her face felt completely flushed. Other than her friends, it was the first time she'd admitted to anyone that she was in a relationship with another female. And she felt like she was going to have a panic attack the moment the words were out of her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Kyle asked.

"I'm fine," Quinn said even though she didn't feel fine. "I think I'm going to go get some water."

"Let me," Kyle said, furrowing his brows as he looked at her. "Why don't you sit down."

Quinn nodded and looked around, finding the nearest chair. As soon as she was seated, she thought about calling Rachel but quickly decided against it. She didn't even know what she would say if she did call, so why bother her? Rachel was probably having fun with her friends and she didn't want to disrupt that.

"Will you stop looking like someone told you Barbra died!" Kurt said with a huff.

"That's not funny," Rachel replied. "If anything happens to her I will hold you personally responsible for even suggesting it. And I'm simply sitting here."

"Yes, and you're moping while sitting there," Kurt stated.

"You do look a little sad," Tina said.

Rachel sighed. "I'm sorry. I just—" Rachel sighed again. "I miss Quinn."

Jesse frowned. "Who the hell is Quinn?"

"Wait," Kurt said, holding up his hands. "Are you talking about that girl you met in London? What does she have to do with your current moodiness?"

Rachel had been home for two full days, but she still hadn't told her friends about Quinn. Tina was the only one her knew about her at all, but she didn't know about anything that had happened in the past few weeks. It had been impossible to talk privately with her since Kurt was always around, so she hadn't had the chance to confide in her yet.

"She's from Lima," Rachel admitted.

"Are you two dating now?" Tina asked.

"Did you know about this?" Kurt asked.

"A little," Tina answered.

"And you didn't say anything to us?" Jesse asked.

"It's not Tina's fault," Rachel stated. "I didn't know what was happening with me and Quinn, and I didn't want to say anything until I did."

"Okay, you're going to have to start from the beginning since some of us have been in the dark about this," Kurt said, looking pointedly between Rachel and Tina.

"On the way to London, Quinn and I were seated next to each other—"

"We know that part," Kurt interrupted.

"I don't," Jesse said.

"Well, we decided to explore London together since neither of us had ever been there before," Rachel said, ignoring the interruption. "She's obviously very beautiful and I developed feelings for her while we were there." Rachel couldn't help smiling as she thought of the blonde. "I kind of fell in love with her, actually."

"You love this girl and you didn't tell us?" Kurt asked.

"When she left, I didn't know what was going to happen," Rachel explained. "We went on a date right before she flew back, but I didn't want to assume anything. I didn't even know if she would want to see me when I was in Lima. She easily could have changed her mind about everything."

"But you two are dating now?" Tina asked.

"Yes," Rachel said with a smile. "Quinn and I are officially in a long distance relationship."

"So why do you look like you were told you'd never sing again?" Jesse asked.

"Because I miss her," Rachel said. "She's in Lima and I'm here, and nothing is going to change that." Rachel sighed deeply. "I told her at the airport that I love her."

"What did she say?" Kurt asked, suddenly looking even more interested.

"She didn't say anything, but I didn't expect her to," Rachel replied. "We've only known each other a few months, and we've only officially dated for a week, but I couldn't hold it in any longer. I had no idea when I would get to see her again and I just had to tell her before I left."

"While I appreciate the dramatics of it all, maybe you should have waited," Jesse said.

"I know," Rachel replied, putting her head in her hands.

"Have you talked to her?" Tina asked.

"We spoke Monday once my plane landed and she's sent me a few text messages, but not extensively," Rachel replied. "She had to go to her father's birthday party yesterday evening after work, though, and then of course she had work today, so—"

"And you've been too chicken to call her," Jesse interrupted.

Rachel frowned. "I don't think respecting her space should be considered being too chicken."

"It is when you won't call your girlfriend because you stupidly told her you love her," Jesse argued.

"You're not helping," Tina said.

Jesse shrugged. "Who said I'm trying to help?"

Rachel sighed again before standing up. "I think I'm going to go lie down."

"But I want to hear everything about this whole 'Rachel has a secret girlfriend' thing!" Kurt said.

"I'll tell you everything later," Rachel promised. "Right now, I just want to lie down."

Rachel stood up from the couch and headed to her room without a look back. As soon as the door was closed, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She quickly scrolled down her contacts and hovered over Quinn's name. After a moment of staring at her phone, she jabbed the call button and took a deep breath before putting the phone up to her ear and listening to it ring.

"Hey."

Rachel couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face at the sound of Quinn's voice. "Hi. You're not busy, are you?"

"No, no," Quinn said, and Rachel could hear the TV shut off in the background.

"I was just calling to—I don't actually know why I'm calling," Rachel admitted. "I was talking to my friends about you and I guess I wanted to hear your voice. I miss you, Quinn."

"I miss you, too," Quinn said. "I thought about calling you last night when I got home, but I didn't want to wake you."

"Don't ever worry about that; you can always call me," Rachel replied. "So, how did the party go?"

"It was okay," Quinn said. "My parents tried to set me up with their friends' son."

Rachel frowned. "Oh."

"Yeah, apparently his parents are in denial about his boyfriend," Quinn added.

"Oh!" Rachel said, her frown disappearing.

Quinn laughed lightly. "Yeah, so I told him about you. Actually, I think I talked about you most of the night."

"Really?" Rachel asked with a smile.

"Really," Quinn said, and Rachel was certain she could hear her smiling, too.

"Another round," Santana said as she poured the tequila into the shot glasses.

"No more for me," Quinn replied.

"Oh please," Santana said, pouring it into her glass anyway. "You're nowhere near getting drunk."

"We have work tomorrow," Quinn reminded her.

"Look, you've been all depressing since your little girlfriend left, so maybe getting drunk is exactly what you need," Santana said before throwing her shot back.

"You have been a little sad," Brittany agreed.

"And if one of you left, you wouldn't be?" Quinn asked.

"Of course," Brittany replied. "I don't think there's anything wrong with it. You miss Rachel."

"Okay, but that's totally different," Santana said.

"How is it different?" Quinn asked.

"Because it is," Santana replied.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "What a well thought out argument. How can I ever argue with that?"

"If you want to be a bitch, fine," Santana said, grabbing Quinn's shot glass, and downing it.

Quinn shook her head. She didn't even know why she'd ever agreed to go over to her friends' apartment. She should have known it would only end in drinking and insults from Santana, and she definitely wasn't in the mood for it. Not that she really had anything better to do; Rachel was gone and she couldn't even talk to her. The brunette sent her a message earlier in the day saying she'd promised her friends some quality time, and she would call her whenever it was over.

"Why don't we just watch a movie?" Quinn asked with a sigh.

"B, do you know where the vodka is?" Santana asked.

"I think it's in the cabinet above the fridge," Brittany answered.

Santana nodded and stood, using Brittany's shoulder to steady herself.

"San just wants to make you feel better," Brittany said as soon as Santana was out of the room.

"Tequila is definitely not going to make me feel better," Quinn replied.

"I think she's hoping you'll talk and then it'll be better," Brittany said with a shrug. "Kind of like how it helped after everything with Sam and you told us you wanted to travel."

Quinn sighed; she really did know Santana was just trying to help. Everything had been annoying Quinn all day, though, and she had been a little harsh on her friend since arriving at their apartment. Work hadn't gone very well, and now with not being able to call Rachel, she'd found herself in a bad mood.

"I'm—"

"Found it," Santana said as she walked into the room, interrupting Quinn's apology.

"You never told us how Russell's birthday went," Brittany said as Santana sat down.

"Yeah, did you come out to the assholes yet?" Santana asked.

"No, I didn't," Quinn replied.

"Why do you even care what they think about you?" Santana asked. "They've treated you like shit your whole life. You're never going to be good enough for them no matter what you do, so why bother?"

"They haven't treated me that badly," Quinn replied.

"No, they just want you to be someone you're not just so they can be happy," Santana said, rolling her eyes. "They've never care what you want, so why should you care about what they want? You've always done everything you could do, but has it ever been enough? They're always going to think the sun shines out of your sister's ass; you're always going to come in second with them."

Brittany frowned. "San—"

"I'm just keeping it real," Santana said, shrugging. "She shouldn't care what they think."

"Don't you still care what your abuela thinks about you?" Quinn asked, and Santana closed her mouth before looking away. "You're always going to care what she thinks about you just like I'm always going to care what my parents think about me. Even if we wish we didn't, we always will."

"Quinn's right," Brittany said, reaching over for her girlfriend's hand. "We may be grownups now, but that doesn't mean we stop wanting our family to be proud of us."

"Whatever," Santana mumbled, pouring herself a shot of vodka. "So what's the midget doing tonight?"

Quinn shrugged. "Her friends were taking her to a Broadway show and then they were going to a club or something."

"No wonder you're such a moody bitch tonight," Santana said. "Afraid she's going to find someone else?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "No."

"I don't think Rachel would do that," Brittany said.

"You never know," Santana remarked.

"Rachel told me she loves me," Quinn blurted out.

"Whoa," Santana said, holding her hand out.

"She did?" Brittany asked with a smile.

"At the airport," Quinn added. "She told me and then she walked away."

"You didn't say anything back?" Brittany asked.

"Way to go, Q," Santana sarcastically said.

Quinn groaned and ran her hand through her hair. "I didn't know what to say. That was the last thing I thought she was going to say and I was shocked. And by the time I got over the shock, she was gone."

"How do you feel about Rachel?" Brittany asked.

"I—" Quinn shook her head. She'd been thinking about it a lot since the words left Rachel's mouth. "I think I love her, too."

"I'm so happy!" Brittany said, nearly tackling Quinn to the ground as she hugged her.

"So why all this moping?" Santana asked. "Shouldn't you be happier?"

"Because I miss her and I don't know what to do," Quinn said. "We live so far apart."

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Santana asked.

"I don't know," Quinn answered.

What could she do? Her life was in Lima and Rachel's life was in New York. She knew it would be crazy for either of them to pack up their life and move for someone they'd only just met three months ago. Yet the thought had repeatedly crossed her mind since the moment the words 'I love you' left Rachel's mouth, so maybe she was crazy.

Or maybe that's just what it was like to actually be in love for the first time.

There will be a part four and probably a part five, but I'm not really sure when those will happen. Hopefully it won't take quite as long to post those as it did this, though.

And as usual, reviews are always appreciated.