Let's Do The Time Warp Again (Part 9/9)
“You guys go home, get some sleep,” Ryan said when, finally, Lea and Dianna emerged hand-in-hand from the elevator. “I’m sorry it took us so long to get you out, we’ll definitely install an elevator phone as soon as possible.”
“Thanks, Ryan,” Dianna smiled, speaking before Lea had a chance to vocalize the militant words that she could tell were lurking just behind her scowl. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ryan nodded curtly and quickly exited the hallway, leaving Lea and Dianna standing face-to-face with Naya and Heather, both of whom were sporting huge grins.
“Something you’d like to tell us?” Naya asked, pointedly looking to their joined hands.
“I don’t think we need to if you’ve already figured it out.” Lea’s scowl grew into a smile as she spoke, and grew impossibly wider as Dianna wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Finally!” Heather cheered as Naya clapped her hands together. “Seriously, guys, about damn time. It’s only been obvious for, like, ever.”
“Well, some of us were a little blind to what was right in front of us,” Dianna said as she nudged Lea with her hip. “Right, Lea?”
Lea blushed. “Well, I guess we have Rachel and Quinn to thank for bringing what, personally, I don’t feel was obvious at all, to light. Where are they anyway?”
“Library, last I knew,” Naya rolled her eyes. “Just follow the yelling. There’s trouble in paradise, apparently. And I thought you were dramatic,” she said, gesturing toward Lea.
“They’re broken up,” Heather explained. “All very sad, really. They were cute together.”
“We’re cuter together,” Lea said adamantly, unable to fight the urge to top everything everyone around her did that had been ingrained in her since she was an eight-year-old on the Broadway audition circuit.
“You’re equally cute, dumbass,” Naya responded. “You’re like, twins.”
Lea blushed. “Right.”
“So, are you guys going to fix Rachel and Quinn?” Heather asked.
“Why is that our job?” Lea demanded.
Dianna smiled. “Well, they did kind of fix us. I suppose we owe them.”
Lea couldn’t help but smile back, finding herself once again lost in Dianna gaze. “Fine. But I’m not crawling through any electrical appliances to do it.”
Dianna laughed, linking her arm through Lea’s. “You, my dear, have got yourself a deal.”
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“You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m being ridiculous? Seriously, Rachel, you locked two perfectly innocent people in an elevator, got pissed at me for not ‘believing in the power of love,’ and then wanted to leave me here? And you’re calling me the ridiculous one?”
“Well excuse me for wishing my girlfriend had some kind of faith in the idea that two people can be meant to be together. If you can’t see it for Lea and Dianna, how on earth can you envision it for us?” Rachel snorted in an attempt to cover the tears that threatened to fall with forced indignation.
“I’m still your girlfriend?” Quinn asked quietly a moment later.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“You did,” she prodded gently. “I heard it in your voice.”
“No.” Rachel couldn’t believe everything she had gone through in a period of less than twenty-four hours. She’d started out alone, gained a girlfriend, lost a girlfriend, and ended up back alone. Her head was spinning and all she could think about right now was being back at home in Lima under her covers and eating her dad’s vegan macaroni and cheese while she watched Funny Girl on her DVD player. She didn’t have the energy required to keep up this charade pretending she didn’t want to be Quinn’s girlfriend anymore. But at the same time, she knew she couldn’t open herself up to that hurt if she let the other girl back in.
Love was very important to Rachel Berry. Sure, it wasn’t unusual for young girls to plan their wedding to Mr. Right long before there was even a Mr. Right in the picture, but Rachel had so much more planned than just a wedding. Rachel wanted, no, needed romance. She pictured breakfasts in bed, hand-in-hand strolls through Central Park at Christmastime, someone who responded to her every need before she even realized she had that need herself, and, perhaps most importantly, someone who believed in that romance and love just as much as she did.
“Rachel,” Quinn spoke, interrupting her thoughts. “I...I’m sorry. I just got too caught up in everything that’s been going on with me, with us, I didn’t take the time to think about the plan. Lea and Dianna weren’t my first priority, and I know that they should have been, that’s why we’re here and I do want to get back to Lima, I do. I want to have a future with you and, oh god, I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but I want to tell our friends and my mom and just be with you, out in the open, no matter what anybody says. You deserve at least that much, Rachel, you do. I know I haven’t always been particularly kind to you, I probably called you something nasty just this morning, but know that I never meant it, not deep down. I’ve been fooling myself for a lot of years, but if I look back and I’m completely honest, I know you’ve always been on my mind. Honestly, Rachel, it’s always been you.”
Rachel felt her heart flutter but refused to turn around and allow Quinn to see the hope shining in her eyes. “I don’t know, Quinn. You tell me you didn’t mean what you’ve said to me every day since middle school, but I’m supposed to believe you mean what you’re saying today?”
Quinn sighed, walking up behind Rachel and gently running a hand down her arm. “No,” she said. “There’s no reason for you to believe me, I realize that. But that’s what you do. You believe, against all reason, against all hope, even when everybody else on the planet thinks you’re nuts. And most of all, you believe in love. And I’m telling you, Rachel Berry, even though I have no idea how or why and it’s probably way too soon to be saying this, but I love you. Please believe that. If Lea and Dianna can settle their differences, so can we. Please.”
Rachel scoffed, still refusing to turn around and into Quinn’s touch. “Lea and Dianna didn’t settle their differences. You ruined all hopes of that.”
“You don’t know that,” Quinn said softly, stepping to Rachel’s side so she could see her face. “They might have worked it out.”
“Do you really believe that?”
Quinn swallowed hard. “I’m trying to.”
Rachel turned fully, her brown eyes boring into Quinn’s hazel. “I suppose I can’t ask for anything more than that, can I?”
Quinn bit her lip, shaking her head. “Is that a yes?”
“A yes?”
“A yes, I did mean it when I said you were still my girlfriend?”
Rachel nodded. “It is.”
“Really?” Quinn grinned. “I’m glad.” She stepped forward, taking Rachel’s hands in hers and leaning down, stopping just before their lips touched.
“Me too,” Rachel whispered, closing the remaining distance between them.
Their kiss was broken several moments later by a loud “Get a room you two,” followed immediately with a hissed “Lea, quiet!”
Pulling away, Rachel looked at the intruders and squealed. “I see hand-holding!” she sing-songed, grinning and pulling Quinn in closer against her.
“And I see tongue-action,” Lea mocked before being silenced by Dianna’s gentle slap on her upper arm. “What? It’s true.”
Dianna rolled her eyes. “Listen, Quinn, Rachel, we just wanted to thank you two for helping us to see the error of our ways. The feelings may have been there, but I don’t know that either one of us would have realized them or acted on them if it weren’t for you. So thank you. I’m really glad you crawled through a television to get here.”
“It was truly our pleasure, Dianna,” Rachel responded, straightening with pride. “When one has gifts as incredible as mine, it is important that one uses them for good. I realize that I am the cause of your happiness, but fear not! Should you find your relationship lacking once Quinn and I have returned to our own world, I will refrain from holding myself personally responsible.”
“Rachel,” Quinn cut in at the first pause. “We really should get going. I know the danger of Glee being canceled has been greatly reduced, but I’d really rather not take any chances. I know Finn went home a few hours ago, he’s probably gathered the others and they’re waiting for us. So, if you’ll excuse us, we really must leave now.”
“Of course,” Dianna nodded, stepping forward to wrap her arms around Quinn as Lea did the same for Rachel. “As weird as this has been, I’m really glad I got to meet you,” she whispered. “Stay strong, okay? And remember that you’re worth it.”
Quinn nodded, wiping a stray tear from her face. “Thank you,” she whispered in response. “Thank you so much, for everything.” Pulling away, she eyed her girlfriend, whose arms were still wrapped tightly around Lea.
“And you look for me on Broadway,” Rachel was saying. “I don’t know exactly where my world ends and your world begins, but I will be getting out of Lima and, as such, expect to see me on the big stage. I imagine you will still be working on this show if I am still in existence, of course, so I find it unlikely I will ever have the pleasure to work with you, but should you have a weekend free I expect you’ll wish to see me in action. And once I’m famous, I assume people will mistake me for you on occasion, and vice versa, obviously, so I propose we let everyone know the differences between us lie in your willingness to maim your appearance with those dreadful tattoos, whereas I will be the one who maintains a clean-cut and acceptable image. Does that sound fair?”
“It was nice to meet you, Rachel,” Lea responded, pushing the younger girl off of her. “Quinn,” she nodded, holding her hand out to the blonde.
Leaning in close as she took her hand, Quinn put on her best bitchface and whispered into Lea’s ear. “Stay away from my girl, you got that?”
“No worries here,” Lea assured her, eyes wide, as she backed away and into the comfort of Dianna’s embrace.
“Alright then,” Quinn said, softening again. “We’ll just be going then. Try to keep the show alive at least a few seasons more.”
“Yes, please,” Rachel added, grabbing Quinn’s outstretched hand and walking towards the door. “I have a lot left to accomplish in my life!”
“Will do,” Dianna responded, giggling. “Have a safe trip back!”
Rachel and Quinn waved as they exited the room, DVD copy of Glee in hand. “Still looking for love before our world ends, Berry?” Quinn asked, gently elbowing Rachel in the side.
“Nah,” she responded lazily, grinning up at Quinn. “I’ve got that one covered. Next up: beginning a pen pal relationship with one Barbra Streisand.”
“You’re serious?” Quinn laughed.
Rachel smiled. “Always.”
“Thanks, Ryan,” Dianna smiled, speaking before Lea had a chance to vocalize the militant words that she could tell were lurking just behind her scowl. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ryan nodded curtly and quickly exited the hallway, leaving Lea and Dianna standing face-to-face with Naya and Heather, both of whom were sporting huge grins.
“Something you’d like to tell us?” Naya asked, pointedly looking to their joined hands.
“I don’t think we need to if you’ve already figured it out.” Lea’s scowl grew into a smile as she spoke, and grew impossibly wider as Dianna wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Finally!” Heather cheered as Naya clapped her hands together. “Seriously, guys, about damn time. It’s only been obvious for, like, ever.”
“Well, some of us were a little blind to what was right in front of us,” Dianna said as she nudged Lea with her hip. “Right, Lea?”
Lea blushed. “Well, I guess we have Rachel and Quinn to thank for bringing what, personally, I don’t feel was obvious at all, to light. Where are they anyway?”
“Library, last I knew,” Naya rolled her eyes. “Just follow the yelling. There’s trouble in paradise, apparently. And I thought you were dramatic,” she said, gesturing toward Lea.
“They’re broken up,” Heather explained. “All very sad, really. They were cute together.”
“We’re cuter together,” Lea said adamantly, unable to fight the urge to top everything everyone around her did that had been ingrained in her since she was an eight-year-old on the Broadway audition circuit.
“You’re equally cute, dumbass,” Naya responded. “You’re like, twins.”
Lea blushed. “Right.”
“So, are you guys going to fix Rachel and Quinn?” Heather asked.
“Why is that our job?” Lea demanded.
Dianna smiled. “Well, they did kind of fix us. I suppose we owe them.”
Lea couldn’t help but smile back, finding herself once again lost in Dianna gaze. “Fine. But I’m not crawling through any electrical appliances to do it.”
Dianna laughed, linking her arm through Lea’s. “You, my dear, have got yourself a deal.”
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“You’re being ridiculous.”
“I’m being ridiculous? Seriously, Rachel, you locked two perfectly innocent people in an elevator, got pissed at me for not ‘believing in the power of love,’ and then wanted to leave me here? And you’re calling me the ridiculous one?”
“Well excuse me for wishing my girlfriend had some kind of faith in the idea that two people can be meant to be together. If you can’t see it for Lea and Dianna, how on earth can you envision it for us?” Rachel snorted in an attempt to cover the tears that threatened to fall with forced indignation.
“I’m still your girlfriend?” Quinn asked quietly a moment later.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“You did,” she prodded gently. “I heard it in your voice.”
“No.” Rachel couldn’t believe everything she had gone through in a period of less than twenty-four hours. She’d started out alone, gained a girlfriend, lost a girlfriend, and ended up back alone. Her head was spinning and all she could think about right now was being back at home in Lima under her covers and eating her dad’s vegan macaroni and cheese while she watched Funny Girl on her DVD player. She didn’t have the energy required to keep up this charade pretending she didn’t want to be Quinn’s girlfriend anymore. But at the same time, she knew she couldn’t open herself up to that hurt if she let the other girl back in.
Love was very important to Rachel Berry. Sure, it wasn’t unusual for young girls to plan their wedding to Mr. Right long before there was even a Mr. Right in the picture, but Rachel had so much more planned than just a wedding. Rachel wanted, no, needed romance. She pictured breakfasts in bed, hand-in-hand strolls through Central Park at Christmastime, someone who responded to her every need before she even realized she had that need herself, and, perhaps most importantly, someone who believed in that romance and love just as much as she did.
“Rachel,” Quinn spoke, interrupting her thoughts. “I...I’m sorry. I just got too caught up in everything that’s been going on with me, with us, I didn’t take the time to think about the plan. Lea and Dianna weren’t my first priority, and I know that they should have been, that’s why we’re here and I do want to get back to Lima, I do. I want to have a future with you and, oh god, I can’t even believe I’m saying this, but I want to tell our friends and my mom and just be with you, out in the open, no matter what anybody says. You deserve at least that much, Rachel, you do. I know I haven’t always been particularly kind to you, I probably called you something nasty just this morning, but know that I never meant it, not deep down. I’ve been fooling myself for a lot of years, but if I look back and I’m completely honest, I know you’ve always been on my mind. Honestly, Rachel, it’s always been you.”
Rachel felt her heart flutter but refused to turn around and allow Quinn to see the hope shining in her eyes. “I don’t know, Quinn. You tell me you didn’t mean what you’ve said to me every day since middle school, but I’m supposed to believe you mean what you’re saying today?”
Quinn sighed, walking up behind Rachel and gently running a hand down her arm. “No,” she said. “There’s no reason for you to believe me, I realize that. But that’s what you do. You believe, against all reason, against all hope, even when everybody else on the planet thinks you’re nuts. And most of all, you believe in love. And I’m telling you, Rachel Berry, even though I have no idea how or why and it’s probably way too soon to be saying this, but I love you. Please believe that. If Lea and Dianna can settle their differences, so can we. Please.”
Rachel scoffed, still refusing to turn around and into Quinn’s touch. “Lea and Dianna didn’t settle their differences. You ruined all hopes of that.”
“You don’t know that,” Quinn said softly, stepping to Rachel’s side so she could see her face. “They might have worked it out.”
“Do you really believe that?”
Quinn swallowed hard. “I’m trying to.”
Rachel turned fully, her brown eyes boring into Quinn’s hazel. “I suppose I can’t ask for anything more than that, can I?”
Quinn bit her lip, shaking her head. “Is that a yes?”
“A yes?”
“A yes, I did mean it when I said you were still my girlfriend?”
Rachel nodded. “It is.”
“Really?” Quinn grinned. “I’m glad.” She stepped forward, taking Rachel’s hands in hers and leaning down, stopping just before their lips touched.
“Me too,” Rachel whispered, closing the remaining distance between them.
Their kiss was broken several moments later by a loud “Get a room you two,” followed immediately with a hissed “Lea, quiet!”
Pulling away, Rachel looked at the intruders and squealed. “I see hand-holding!” she sing-songed, grinning and pulling Quinn in closer against her.
“And I see tongue-action,” Lea mocked before being silenced by Dianna’s gentle slap on her upper arm. “What? It’s true.”
Dianna rolled her eyes. “Listen, Quinn, Rachel, we just wanted to thank you two for helping us to see the error of our ways. The feelings may have been there, but I don’t know that either one of us would have realized them or acted on them if it weren’t for you. So thank you. I’m really glad you crawled through a television to get here.”
“It was truly our pleasure, Dianna,” Rachel responded, straightening with pride. “When one has gifts as incredible as mine, it is important that one uses them for good. I realize that I am the cause of your happiness, but fear not! Should you find your relationship lacking once Quinn and I have returned to our own world, I will refrain from holding myself personally responsible.”
“Rachel,” Quinn cut in at the first pause. “We really should get going. I know the danger of Glee being canceled has been greatly reduced, but I’d really rather not take any chances. I know Finn went home a few hours ago, he’s probably gathered the others and they’re waiting for us. So, if you’ll excuse us, we really must leave now.”
“Of course,” Dianna nodded, stepping forward to wrap her arms around Quinn as Lea did the same for Rachel. “As weird as this has been, I’m really glad I got to meet you,” she whispered. “Stay strong, okay? And remember that you’re worth it.”
Quinn nodded, wiping a stray tear from her face. “Thank you,” she whispered in response. “Thank you so much, for everything.” Pulling away, she eyed her girlfriend, whose arms were still wrapped tightly around Lea.
“And you look for me on Broadway,” Rachel was saying. “I don’t know exactly where my world ends and your world begins, but I will be getting out of Lima and, as such, expect to see me on the big stage. I imagine you will still be working on this show if I am still in existence, of course, so I find it unlikely I will ever have the pleasure to work with you, but should you have a weekend free I expect you’ll wish to see me in action. And once I’m famous, I assume people will mistake me for you on occasion, and vice versa, obviously, so I propose we let everyone know the differences between us lie in your willingness to maim your appearance with those dreadful tattoos, whereas I will be the one who maintains a clean-cut and acceptable image. Does that sound fair?”
“It was nice to meet you, Rachel,” Lea responded, pushing the younger girl off of her. “Quinn,” she nodded, holding her hand out to the blonde.
Leaning in close as she took her hand, Quinn put on her best bitchface and whispered into Lea’s ear. “Stay away from my girl, you got that?”
“No worries here,” Lea assured her, eyes wide, as she backed away and into the comfort of Dianna’s embrace.
“Alright then,” Quinn said, softening again. “We’ll just be going then. Try to keep the show alive at least a few seasons more.”
“Yes, please,” Rachel added, grabbing Quinn’s outstretched hand and walking towards the door. “I have a lot left to accomplish in my life!”
“Will do,” Dianna responded, giggling. “Have a safe trip back!”
Rachel and Quinn waved as they exited the room, DVD copy of Glee in hand. “Still looking for love before our world ends, Berry?” Quinn asked, gently elbowing Rachel in the side.
“Nah,” she responded lazily, grinning up at Quinn. “I’ve got that one covered. Next up: beginning a pen pal relationship with one Barbra Streisand.”
“You’re serious?” Quinn laughed.
Rachel smiled. “Always.”