Never asked to feel your halo (Faberry)

12: One Can Stand Alone In The Dark.

Quinn didn't stay much longer, her own admission probably scaring her. After another couple of minutes she pulled her hand out of Rachel's and stood up, brushing down the back of her Cheerios skirt and looking anywhere but at her.

For her part, Rachel was feeling just as nervous and was pretending to search for the perfect place to store the handkerchiefs in her bag. Quinn was unsettling at the best of times, but never more so than today. First with her willingness to practice their part in the routine, and then with the fake-fight and then . . . They'd been holding hands for at least three and a half minutes!

"Do you mind if I go first? I want to be out of the parking lot before Glee ends."

"That's fine. I have to wait for my Dad anyway."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Quinn. Have a nice evening."

"You too."

Rachel watched her go before standing and pulling her bag onto her shoulder. She walked in the other direction; taking the long way around would kill some time and make sure they weren't spotted coming from the same area of school.

Quinn's car was long gone by the time she sat on the bench by the pick up/drop off point but she was just in time to see the others wandering out the main entrance. Half of them didn't even acknowledge her. Finn gave her a look that she couldn't read and for half a second she thought he was going to stop, but he obviously thought better of it and used his long stride to catch up with Puck and Santana.

Artie rolled up beside her, he was waiting for his Dad too, but he didn't say a word until Tina joined them, taking a seat next to her on the bench.

"A-a-are you o-okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Tina. I'm fine."

Artie bent at the waist, looking around Tina so that he could see her. "What were you thinking, Rachel?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about."

"You just t-t-tried to commit s-s-suicide!"

She frowned, "Why does everyone liken upsetting Quinn Fabray with attempted suicide?"

"Because that's what they call it when you poke an angry bear with a sharp stick!"

"Quinn's not an angry bear. She's more of a . . . a mountain lion or a lynx. Actually, she's more of a wolf; yes she's a blonde wolf."

It was her eyes, and her smirk, and her aggressively playful attitude this afternoon (fake-fight not included) – they all seemed like very wolf-like attributes.

Artie and Tina were looking at her oddly and Rachel cleared her throat. "She's not big enough to be a bear."

"But she c-could still snap you like a t-twig."

"I thought she was going to," Artie agreed.

"I assure you I can handle Quinn Fabray. Psychotic as she appeared this afternoon, I am not afraid of her."

"Oh please, Rachel, we could all practically smell the urine running down your leg."

She turned her head the other way to see Kurt had joined them. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that she really hadn't been scared, but she'd almost been able to feel it running down her leg.

"I admit, she caught me off guard. I wasn't even aware she was in the room until she was charging at me," she lied.

"Well, clearly," Artie said, "not even you would be stupid enough to flirt with Quinn Fabray's boyfriend in front of her!"