Well, I was obviously too ambitious in thinking I could wrap up this fic in five days. I'm getting so much mileage out of these two, this may turn into the never-ending story, and I don't want to rush to the finish line without doing justice to all of the crazy ideas that keep popping into my head (usually at the most inopportune moments). This is the longest chapter to date, though, and I had an absolute blast writing it - although I fear I may have ventured into crack!fic territory *cackles with laughter.* I hope you all enjoy it!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on the previous chapter. As always, I cherish all of your reviews.

"My baby don't mess around, because she loves me so, and this I know for sure," Cassie sings, swaying her hips to the beat as she retrieves a yoghurt from the refrigerator. She gracefully kicks the door shut, and then throws her spoon up in the air, twirling around before she catches it again. She grins indulgently as she watches Rachel dance the funky chicken around the dining table, and Schwimmer lets out a little yelp when Cassie moves past her, opting to tap out the rhythm on her ass instead of clapping along with the track. They dance around the kitchen like Uma Thurman and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, pulling out every cheesy dance move they can think of, and then Cassie twirls Rachel around until she's doubled-over with breathless laughter.

"Don't want to meet your mama, just want to make you cum-ma," Cassie sings mischievously into Schwimmer's ear, pulling her close and grinding against her ass, and Kurt chooses that moment to walk into the kitchen, tutting his disapproval.

"The next time you two plan on going at it like a pair of Energizer bunnies, I would appreciate it if you could give me some advance warning so I can vacate the building first."

Cassie laughs when a bleary-eyed Kurt slams down the kettle, muttering something about cats in heat as he stirs his cup of coffee. She reaches out to ruffle his perfectly coiffed hair, just to piss him off even more.

"Shake it, shake, shake it, shake it like a Polaroid picture," she counters unrepentantly, and she and Rachel shimmy into Kurt's personal space, wiggling their asses until he finally cracks a smile.

"We were going to head back to my place, but we got a little... sidetracked," Cassie informs him, with a sparkle in her eyes. "Sorry," she adds, without the faintest hint of remorse.

"We didn't mean to infringe on your beauty sleep, Kurt," Rachel assures him regretfully, "We'll try to be more considerate next time."

"Don't give him false hope, Schwimmer," Cassie says, with a snort of laughter, "You can't do anything quietly."

Rachel pokes her in the ribs, and Cassie hands her a glass of orange juice as a peace-offering, chucking her affectionately under the chin.

"You were never that vocal when you were holed away in Finn's room," Kurt teases Rachel, sharing a conspiratorial smile with Cassie, "Not unless you were forcing him to sing a duet with you, anyway."

"That was probably her idea of foreplay," Cassie counters, winking at Rachel as she plucks an apple out of the fruit bowl.

Kurt's shoulders start shaking with repressed laughter, and Cassie watches the tips of Rachel's ears turn pink.

"Finn was a gentleman. He didn't - "

"Have a clue how to get your motor running?" Cassie interjects helpfully, and Kurt nearly chokes on his cornflakes.

"I don't think that's appropriate conversation for the breakfast table," Rachel tells her primly, and Cassie shares an amused look with Kurt.

"I thought you two were never going to stop," Kurt informs them mournfully, "I had to re-charge my iPod mid-way through."

Cassie gives him a companionable nudge. "Then go find yourself a hot boyfriend and give us a taste of our own medicine. You do realise New York is full of eligible gay guys who're ripe for the picking, right?"

Kurt looks contemplative. "I know. It's just..." he hesitates, staring forlornly into his bowl of cereal, and Cassie levels him with a knowing smile.

"Oh, I get it. You're still living off Ambien and The Notebook?"

Kurt sighs, nodding his agreement. "Maybe I should start upping my dosage before you come over. Then I might get a decent night's sleep."

Cassie rolls her eyes. "Look, if your virgin ears are that offended, I'll buy you some ear plugs, OK?"

"Good - because you curse like a sailor," he retorts, but he's clearly struggling not to smile, "And take blasphemy to a whole new level."

"Well, what can I say?" Cassie pulls Rachel onto her lap, smiling up at her when Schwimmer loops an arm around her shoulders, "I've always had impulse control issues where your roommate's concerned."

Kurt throws them a look of mock disgust, hastily pushing back his chair.

"I'm calling first dibs on the shower, before you two decide to start fornicating in there, too."

Cassie wiggles her fingers at him, and Kurt throws her a pointed look that suggests he knows exactly where they've been.

Rachel waits until Kurt's out of the room, and then buries her face in Cassie's shoulder.

"That was so embarrassing," she laments, and Cassie gives her a fortifying squeeze.

"He'll get over it," she assures her, "Once he stops picturing you in all kinds of compromising positions, anyway."

Rachel groans, pulling a face. "We should have just waited until we were back at your place."

"Oh, really? Because that's not what you said last night," Cassie reminds her, with a rakish grin. Rachel doesn't look amused, so she holds up her hands in surrender.

"OK, OK!" she protests, "I'm sorry I made you come so hard you woke up half the neighbourhood!"

Cassie braces herself for another tirade, but she's saved by the bell when Schwimmer's cell phone starts ringing.

Rachel squeezes her eyes shut when she glances down at the screen, and Cassie raises an amused eyebrow when she sighs resignedly.

"Hi, Daddy!" Rachel exclaims cheerfully, batting Cassie's hands away from her thighs and hastily jumping off her lap. Cassie smirks at her obvious discomfort, but she decides to play nice instead of making things even more awkward for her.

"Yes, I'm fine. Never better, actually," Rachel says, catching Cassie's eye and levelling her with a heart-melting smile. "No, of course I haven't been avoiding you!" she assures him, biting her lip. "I've just been busy, that's all. You know, with school and... stuff. I miss you both so much, though."

Cassie listens to Rachel fend off a barrage of questions, and she nearly swallows a whole chunk of her apple when Rachel indignantly exclaims - "Pregnant? Oh my God, no. Why would you even think that?"

Cassie clamps a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, but her smile rapidly fades when she sees the guilt-ridden expression on Schwimmer's face. She's clearly doing her level best to keep her parents in the dark about their relationship without actually lying to them, but Cassie can see how much she's itching to tell them the truth. Cassie's stomach twists into a painful knot as she imagines how the Berrys are going to react when they find out that their daughter is dating her former teacher; who's fourteen years older than her, with no real career prospects and a penchant for 100-proof liquor. Still, at least they won't have a problem with the gay thing - unless they were hoping for a brood of grandchildren, in which case, Cassie's shit out of luck.

"I'm sorry," she says, softly, when Rachel finally gets off the phone, "I know how close you are to them..." she trails off, because she doesn't really know what to suggest.

"I want to tell them so badly," Rachel blurts out, confirming Cassie's suspicions, "But only if you're ready," she concludes anxiously.

"I don't know, Schwimmer. I'm not sure if I like the idea of them chasing after me with pitchforks."

"Well... as long as you don't go running for the hills..." Rachel counters, but her smile looks a little strained.

"I'm not going anywhere," Cassie asserts emphatically, but the churning in her stomach is only getting worse.

"They've always been so supportive of me, I can't imagine them having an adverse reaction," Rachel assures her, like the beacon of hope she is, "But even if they do, it's not going to change how I feel about you."

"Are you sure about that?" Cassie asks her lightly, gathering up their bowls and heading towards the sink so Rachel won't be able to see the fear in her eyes.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Rachel tells her firmly.

"So, how exactly do you plan on breaking it to them?" Cassie asks her, hastily rinsing off the dishes, "Hey, Daddy, I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that the Republican Party was right all along - gay parents really do breed gay kids! Also, I'm banging that chick you met on New Year's Eve. You know, the one who used to be my teacher? But it's totally fine, because she got fired for bullying a girl to the brink of death, so it's not like we're breaking any rules here. And I know she's a lot older than me, but I swear she's not a paedophile."

"No!" Rachel protests, and she looks torn between amusement and horror, "I'm going to tell them that I'm dating a woman who's incredibly talented - not to mention beautiful - and that it's possible I may love her even more than Barbra Streisand."

"Well, I'm touched, Schwimmer, but if you tell them that, they're probably going to think you've been brainwashed," Cassie says, with a wry smile.

"Actually, I think I'm finally starting to see the light," Rachel informs her, and her expression is suddenly serious. "I spent my last year of high school putting my dreams on hold so Finn would feel better about himself, and I didn't even realise how miserable he was making me, or how much I'd changed to accommodate him."

Cassie's brow furrows. "You don't strike me as the type to bend to anyone's will, Schwimmer."

"I'm not," Rachel reassures her, "But when I thought NYADA wasn't an option for me anymore, I kind of lost my way for a while. My Dads tried to stop me from marrying Finn, but it was you who made me snap out of my funk and remember why I never wanted to settle for second best. You made me feel like me again; you made me remember why performing was always the thing I loved the most, because watching you was like having front-row seats to the best show in town."

For several moments, Cassie can't speak. All of her energy is focussed on willing back the tears that are pooling in her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall. She reaches for the dish towel, drying off her hands before she turns around.

"Oh, Schwimmer, you poor, deluded soul," she says softly, cradling Rachel's face tenderly in her palms.

"I can't guarantee that my Dads are going to be thrilled about this, but I know they'll come around eventually, because this... this is the happiest I've ever been."

"OK, sack what I just said. I think your parents are gonna love me," Cassie proclaims with a new-found confidence, and Rachel bursts out laughing.

"They certainly seemed to enjoy your company on New Year's Eve," she reminds her, resting her head against Cassie's shoulder. "It's Spring Break in a few weeks, and I was thinking maybe... maybe we could fly out to Ohio and tell them in person?"

"Can't you just update your relationship status on Facebook, or something?" Cassie asks her sardonically, but Rachel crosses her arms and pouts until she finds herself wavering.

"I don't do planes, Schwimmer. So unless you want me to get reacquainted with your Dads when I'm drunk off my ass and doped up on Valium, it's probably better if we drive."

"But it'll take us a whole day to get there if we rent a car, and the flight only takes an hour and a half," Rachel points out, and Cassie retrieves her purse from the sofa, tossing Rachel a set of car keys.

"We don't have to rent," she informs her, "I've got a perfectly good Mazda MX-5 sitting in the storage lot at the back of my street. I probably should have sold it when I moved to the city, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it."

"So we're going on a road trip?" Rachel asks her, and she looks like she's going to burst with excitement.

Cassie gives her an indulgent smile. "Just don't make me live to regret it, OK?"

Rachel claps her hands delightedly. "I'm going to start putting some playlists together. Britney's a must, of course," she hastens to add, and Cassie glances towards the heavens in exasperation.

"Schwimmer, what part of 'don't make me live to regret it,' didn't you understand?" she retorts, but she can't help but grin. Six months ago, an enema would have sounded more appealing than the prospect of spending nine consecutive hours with Rachel Berry, but now, she's almost looking forward to it.

Cassie helps Rachel (and Kurt) study for their mid-terms by preparing a bunch of flash cards for them, and Schwimmer seems thrilled to discover that she has the brains to match her beauty, or as Schwimmer puts it: "your writing may border on being illegible, but your spelling and grammar is impeccable." Of course, it helps that she also has a wealth of inside knowledge about the kind of questions faculty members like to throw at unsuspecting freshmen. Truth be told, Cassie's only sticking around so she can pounce on Schwimmer when she finally decides to take a break, but when Rachel proudly presents her with her report card and she sees a 4.0 GPA staring back at her, she can't help but feel stoked. Well, for the most part, anyway.

"Carmen gave you a commendation," she observes through gritted teeth, and Rachel regards her inquisitively, "She never gives anyone a commendation."

"Not even you?" Rachel asks her, and Cassie glares at her, pursing her lips.

"Shut up, Schwimmer."

Rachel's smug smile gets impossibly wider, and Cassie scrunches up her nose when she sees the inflated marks she attained in Dance 101.

"And Dumont must be a pushover, because I sure as hell wouldn't have given you an 'A,'" she gripes, and Rachel regards her as though she's been mortally wounded. She looks so hurt, Cassie feels compelled to preserve her feelings.

"I would have given you an 'A +'" she adds smoothly, and she can see Kurt's shoulders shaking with laughter when he hastily looks away. "For effort," she adds, under her breath, while Rachel's busy tidying the kitchen.

The next day, she presents Schwimmer with a lavish bouquet of flowers, which are more extravagant than she can really afford, but Schwimmer's tearful reaction is so heart-warming, she doesn't care that she'll be scrimping and saving to make this month's rent. Rachel spends ten whole minutes clutching her heart and gushing over the arrangement, and then she kisses Cassie so passionately, Cassie runs her tongue over her teeth to make sure they're all still where they're supposed to be.

"At least your Dads can't accuse me of ruining your grades," she says, lifting Rachel clean off the floor and hugging her tightly. "You did good, Schwimmer."

Kurt arrives in the kitchen to see what all the commotion is about, and sighs when he clocks the flowers on the table.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he asks Cassie plaintively, and Cassie levels him with a wicked grin.

"Sorry, Twinkle Toes, I don't think I've got the right anatomy. Maybe you should ask Bruce to go steady and invest in a butt plug instead."

"Cassie!" Rachel exclaims, looking horrified, but Kurt has always been appreciative of her snark, and he smiles unperturbedly.

"You know what? As soon as you two hit the open road, that's exactly what I'm planning to do."

Rachel covers her face with her hands, clearly suffering the effects of being exposed to too much information, but Cassie cackles her approval.

"Well, have fun," she says, levelling him with a mischievous wink.

"Oh, I will," he assures her, "You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to the peace and quiet, instead of waking up to the sound of you singing 'Oh, What A Night' and 'Your Sex Is On Fire.'"

"Don't pretend you're not going to miss us," Rachel chastises him, and he offers them a begrudging grin.

"Maybe a little," he concedes, pulling Rachel into a light hug. "I just hope everything goes OK at Chez Berry."

"From your lips to God's ears," Cassie says wryly, feeling that familiar pang of anxiety when she imagines Schwimmer's parents interrogating her. Still, she can't put this off forever, and the moment of reckoning has finally arrived.

When Rachel first lays eyes on her convertible, she actually squeals, reverently running her hands over the hood and cooing over the leather interior.

"Everyone in Lima drives an SUV. I've never been in a sports car before," she informs Cassie, and she's practically vibrating with excitement.

"It's not like it's a Lamborghini."

"But it's so you," Rachel observes, giggling as she casts an eye over the fire-engine-red exterior.

"Sleek and sexy," Cassie drawls, reaching for Rachel's over-stuffed suitcase.

"God Almighty, Schwimmer, did you try and fit your entire closet in here?"

"Well, it has been unseasonably warm lately, so I wanted to prepare for every eventuality."

"Including the apocalypse?" Cassie snipes, but Rachel just smiles sweetly at her, so she hefts the suitcase into the trunk and tries to make room for her own bag, along with the ice cooler that appears to be housing enough food to feed a third-world country. She waves her key chain in the general vicinity of the car, disengaging the lock, and Rachel jumps up and down before settling into the passenger seat.

"Oh, wow, the seats are so low!" she exclaims, and Cassie can't help but smile.

"Yeah, well, enjoy the sensation of your legs actually touching the floor for once, short-ass."

She slams shut the trunk, checks her front door one last time, and then climbs elegantly into the car, rolling her eyes when she sees Rachel pulling a stack of re-writable CDs out of her travel bag.

"You're just waiting for me to roll the top down and start singing 'Born To Be Wild,' aren't you?" Cassie teases, and Rachel giggles, nodding enthusiastically.

"I've always wanted to do the whole Thelma and Louise thing. Well, minus the suicide pact, of course."

"Well, I wouldn't rule that out just yet. Your Dads might push me over the edge."

Rachel slaps her lightly on the thigh. "It's going to be fine," she assures her, but Cassie's still trying to convince herself.

She fishes her sunglasses out of the glove compartment, turning her face towards the morning sun, and it's definitely starting to feel like Spring is in the air.

"OK, let's get this show on the road," she proclaims, gunning the engine, but when she turns to smile at Rachel, she realises that Schwimmer is just kind of... staring at her.

"What?" she demands, and Rachel seems to snap out of her reverie, shaking her head with a rueful smile.

"Nothing. I'm just... trying to figure out how I got this lucky, that's all," she confesses quietly. "You're so beautiful, sometimes my stomach gets tied up in knots just looking at you."

Cassie's heart clenches a little at that.

"Hey," she says softly, reaching out to stroke her thumb over Rachel's cheek, "I'm the lucky one, OK?"

Rachel ducks her head, blushing, but it's clear from her expression that she doesn't really believe it.

Cassie pats her lightly on the knee, heaving a long-suffering sigh as she gestures towards the CD player.

"Go on then, Schwimmer. Do your worst."

Five minutes later, they're edging their way through the early morning traffic with The Proclaimers' '500 Miles' blaring from the speakers, and they're both singing along at the top of their lungs. Cassie takes her eyes off the road for a second, sneaking a glance at Rachel, only to find Schwimmer beaming back at her with a cheek-splitting smile.

Cassie's grin gets even wider, and she starts to feel like maybe she's not on the Highway to Hell, after all.

A few hours later, they finally come off the grid-locked interstate and hit a patch of open road, where they're surrounded by nothing but fields and farm animals. Cassie takes a sweeping look around at the verdant landscape, and impulsively hits the switch for the retractable roof. The breeze still has a bit of a bite to it, but the sun is a lot warmer that she anticipated, and she shakes her hair loose, sucking in a deep breath of the freshest air she's inhaled in a long time. Then she presses her foot against the gas pedal, going from 40 to 70 in the blink of an eye, and Rachel shrieks with delight, laughing hysterically as she's subjected to the breath-taking G-force. The stereo is barely audible over the rush of the wind, so Cassie cranks up the volume, and when The Cranberries' 'Dreams' starts playing, she heaves a contented sigh, letting the soaring melody wash over her. It feels strangely reminiscent of the rush she used to get from performing, and she can't remember the last time she felt this buzzed without the aid of alcohol.

"THIS IS AMAZING!" Schwimmer practically screams, echoing her sentiments, and clearly she's feeling pretty high on life, too.

Cassie grins, pretending not to hear her.

"I SAID, 'THIS IS AMAZING,'" Rachel yells again, and Cassie dissolves into fits of laughter. With the car locked in fifth gear, she reaches for Schwimmer's hand, threading their fingers together, and she doesn't let go until Rachel cranes her neck, pointing to a nearby field.

"LAMBS!" she exclaims excitedly, and when Cassie sees her enamoured expression, she sighs, hitting the brake and pulling over to the side of the road.

"Oh my God, look at them. Aren't they adorable?" Rachel gushes, leaping out of the car and then cautiously approaching the fence to get a closer look. The lambs clearly have better ideas, though, and they scatter in the opposite direction. Cassie has to try not to laugh when she sees the crushed expression on Schwimmer's face, and she uses the opportunity to stretch out her back, tilting her head to the side to work out the kinks in her neck.

Schwimmer plucks the car keys out of the ignition, and Cassie raises an eyebrow when she sets about retrieving the cooler from the trunk.

"You want to eat lunch in a field full of cow dung?" she asks incredulously, "Because I'm pretty sure there's a rest stop up the road that has chairs, and cutlery, and coffee."

Rachel regards her beseechingly. "Please?" she begs, and Cassie sighs, kicking off her Louis Vuitton flats and replacing them with a pair of sneakers.

"I didn't pull over so we could play Little House on the Prairie," she gripes, but she takes the cooler from Schwimmer, scrutinising their surroundings to make sure there aren't any warning signs about trespassers being shot on sight. It looks like the fields are open access, even though there isn't anyone around for miles (unless you count the cows, but Cassie's trying to give them a wide berth). She straddles the fence and gingerly makes her way through the overgrown grass, finding a spot that's free from any unwelcome surprises, and she has to admit, the view is pretty scenic.

Rachel appears a couple of moments later, and Cassie laughs when she realises she's carrying the blanket they curl up under during movie nights.

"Aw, Schwimmer, you couldn't bear to leave your blankey behind?" Cassie teases her affectionately.

Rachel retaliates by throwing it over her head like she's about to abduct her, and Cassie sputters indignantly.

"Hey! There's no need for violence," she protests, but she's laughing when she shakes out the blanket and sets it on the ground. They flop down on top of it, and Cassie can't help but feel touched when she reaches for the cooler and sees the effort Rachel obviously went to in packing the kind of food she likes. She munches on her feta salad while Schwimmer eats her sandwiches, and even though it's a little chilly, Cassie barely feels the cold.

"Are you sure you don't want to call ahead, instead of springing this on them out of the blue?" she ventures anxiously, but Schwimmer shakes her head.

"Trust me, they'll be so happy to see me, they won't care about the circumstances."

"So I'm just supposed to jump out of the car and shout, 'Surprise?'" Cassie asks, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Don't look so nervous," Rachel cajoles, reaching for her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm not nervous," Cassie lies, avoiding Rachel's amused gaze, "I just don't want this to turn into 'Run, Cassie, Run: The Remix.'"

Rachel's giggle has always been infectious, and Cassie winds up smiling in spite of herself.

"You'll be pleased to know my fathers strictly oppose the right to bear arms," Rachel informs her, "But I can't guarantee that you won't be forced to sit through several of their performances."

"In that case, I think I'd rather take a bullet," Cassie jokes, but she figures she'd better shut up when Rachel narrows her eyes.

She lies back, soaking up the tepid sun, and smiles when Schwimmer nestles into her side, helping to ward off the light breeze. They just lounge there, trading leisurely caresses and listening to the birds sing, until Rachel pulls back a little, propping herself up on her elbow and regarding Cassie intently.

"Thank you for doing this," she says softly, and Cassie reaches out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I would do anything for love..." she sings, barely managing to keep a straight face, and Rachel straddles her waist, kissing her like she's savouring every last second of it.

"It's going to be so hard, not being able to touch you like this for a whole week," she laments, and Cassie sits up a little straighter.

"Wait, what?" she asks, and Rachel regards her inquisitively.

"Well, we can't have sex when my Dads are right next door," she explains matter-of-factly, and Cassie covers her face with her hands. She wants to point out that this isn't what she signed up for, but she knows this is still a sensitive issue with Schwimmer, so she bites back the urge to say, "so, what do you expect me to do? Buy a tent and pitch it at the bottom of the garden?"

Instead, she glances around the field, making sure there aren't any potential voyeurs, and then turns twinkling eyes in Rachel's direction.

"Hey, Schwimmer," she drawls seductively, "Fancy a roll in the hay?"

Half an hour later, Cassie collapses on top of Rachel, and her lips curl upwards in a satisfied smile. She presses a kiss against Schwimmer's neck and then slowly withdraws her fingers, and Rachel moans into her shoulder, still shaking from the vestiges of her orgasm. When a cow moos in the background like it's answering some kind of mating call, they both burst out laughing. Cassie kisses Rachel one last time and then helps her to re-position her underwear and button up her pants, but her heart stops beating when she finally pays heed to their surroundings and sees Daisy the cow staring straight back at her.

"Oh, shit," she cusses, clutching Rachel's arm convulsively, and Schwimmer glances up, giggling when she sees the cow grazing a few feet away from them.

Cassie hastily straightens her clothes, running a hand through her dishevelled hair, and then she frantically motions towards Rachel, gesturing for her to stand up. She creeps towards the cooler, careful not to make any sudden movements when she picks it up, and Rachel watches her with barely-concealed amusement.

"Cassie, it's a cow, not a bull. It's not going to - "

"Shush!" she hisses urgently, when the cow stops munching on the grass and glances towards them. Rachel abruptly shuts her mouth, but her shoulders are still shaking with mirth.

"Come on," Cassie whispers, canting her head towards the fence. She reaches for Rachel's hand, and sets about beating a hasty retreat. Then she makes the mistake of looking behind her, letting out a squeak of surprise.

"Schwimmer, it's following us," she says hoarsely, but Rachel's too busy laughing at her to care. Cassie speeds up, towing Rachel along behind her, but when the cow starts rapidly gaining on them, she can't take it anymore. She yelps, dropping the cooler and sprinting towards the fence. She practically vaults over it, and when she turns around, she sees Rachel on her knees in the middle of the field, clutching her stomach as she howls with laughter.

"Come on, Schwimmer, get out of there," Cassie yells impatiently, but it takes another minute before Rachel finally manages to stand up. Then she walks over to the cow, and Cassie looks on in faintly-veiled disbelief when she starts petting it under the chin.

"What the hell are you doing? It's not a fucking guinea pig," she hollers, which seems to tickle Rachel's funny bone even more. Rachel eventually picks up the cooler, and takes her merry old time strolling back to the car. Then she takes one look at Cassie, and promptly bursts into uncontrollable laughter again.

Cassie tries really hard to look pissed off, but she knows the fondness she feels for Schwimmer is painted plainly across her face.

"If you don't get a move on, your Dads are going to be tucked up in bed by the time we get there," she snaps, but her attempts to sound terse fail miserably.

Rachel wraps an arm around her waist, kissing her tenderly on the cheek.

"I love you," she says, and her eyes are brimming with affection. Cassie sighs, pulling her into a one-armed hug.

"I love you, too," she capitulates, "But if you repeat a word of this to anyone, I will hunt you down and kill you. Understand?"

Rachel nods sombrely, and Cassie's lips twitch at the corners.

"Oh, and you might want to change your sweater when we stop to use the restroom. You're covered in grass stains."

"Knowing me, knowing you..."

"A-haaaa," Cassie chips in, lowering her voice a couple of octaves until she sounds like something out of a horror film.

"Stop it!" Rachel protests, swiping at her eyes, which are still streaming in the wake of Cassie's falsetto rendition of 'Walk Like A Man.' She takes a minute to regain her composure, and then tries again.

"Memories..."

"Memories," Cassie echoes in her most sinister voice, and Rachel's jaw twitches.

"Good days..."

"Good days..."

"Bad days..."

"Baaaaad days," Cassie breathes into Rachel's ear in the same ominous whisper, and she bursts out laughing when Schwimmer changes the track in a fit of pique, before turning to look out of the window so Cassie won't see her amusement. They work their way through the rest of ABBA's Greatest Hits, with Cassie drumming her hands against the steering wheel, and by the time they hit the Ohio state border, they've practically sung themselves hoarse.

Cassie pulls up at a rest-stop to walk off the strain of being cooped up in a tiny car for eight hours, and when she peruses a road map to make sure they're on the right route, she wishes she'd invested in a Sat Nav years ago. She's starting to get twitchy, and she knows it's because she's forgotten what it feels like, to actually care what people think of her. She had to stop caring, because it was never anything good.

She squeezes her eyes shut when Rachel's arms inch around her waist, and she rests her hands on top of Schwimmer's, reminding herself why she's doing this.

"We're making good time," Rachel says quietly, "We can afford to take a break, if you want? You must be exhausted."

"No," Cassie counters grimly, and all of her earlier merriment is gone, "Let's just get this over with."

When they pull up outside of the Berry household – which embodies just about every suburban stereotype Cassie can think of - her palms are so sweaty, they're nearly slipping off the steering wheel, and even Rachel's starting to fidget apprehensively.

"You go ahead," Cassie tells her, trying to keep the panic out of her voice, "I'll wait here for now."

Rachel looks like she's about to protest, but she must realise that Cassie needs a moment to collect herself, because she eventually nods her agreement. She squeezes Cassie's arm, and then jumps out of the car, running up the driveway like a kid on recess.

Cassie can't help but smile as she watches Rachel frantically press the buzzer, and she laughs when she sees the expression of sheer joy on her Dads' faces when they come rushing to the door. Schwimmer hurtles into their arms, and even with the roof down and the windows closed, she can hear LeRoy and Hiram's exclamations of delight as they enfold Rachel in a crushing embrace. They're laughing, and crying, and looking at Rachel like she's the most precious thing in the world, and Cassie can't breathe, because the thought of jeopardising that makes her feel sick to the stomach. For one sobering moment, she genuinely considers gunning the engine and driving away from all of this, because she barely remembers what it feels like to be part of a family, and it already seems like she's on the outside looking in. Then Rachel catches her eye, beckoning her over, and getting out of the car is one of the hardest things she's ever done.

Her heart is pounding erratically as she makes her way up the garden path, and LeRoy is already regarding her suspiciously.

"Cassandra," he says, "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Well... Rachel's NYADA's biggest asset. I couldn't let her travel unaccompanied," she jokes feebly, and she tries not to flinch when Schwimmer reaches for her hand. Cassie clutches it like it's some kind of lifeline, and steels herself for the fallout.

"Dad; Daddy..." Rachel begins, taking a deep breath, "I want you to take a moment before you react to this news, because I know it's probably going to come as a surprise. Cassie and I are - "

"I knew it!" Hiram exclaims, and Cassie looks on, feeling utterly bewildered, as he points triumphantly at LeRoy, "I told you something was going on."

"It's been so hard, hiding this from you both - " Rachel hastens to interject, but LeRoy cuts her off.

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" he asks Hiram defensively, "I thought she was still hung up on Finn. And she's never expressed an interest in women before."

"Says the man who was all set to elope with Yvonne Jackson until he met me," Hiram counters smugly.

"Yes, well, not all of us boarded the rainbow bus as soon as we were born, Hiram."

Rachel stomps her foot, and Cassie has to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"Daddy! I didn't come home so you could debate about my sexuality, I came home to tell you that Cassie and I have been dating for a while now, and we're - "

"I swear to God, baby girl, if you tell me that you're about to get married - "

"Oh, God, no!" Cassie exclaims, a little too forcefully, and then she finds herself on the receiving end of two judgemental glares. "I mean, I'm not saying that I wouldn't..." she hastens to add, and Rachel whirls around to face her.

"You would?" she asks, breaking into a beautific smile, and Cassie decides to stop talking altogether, burying her face in Schwimmer's shoulder.

"My intentions are at least... eighty-five percent honourable," she eventually mutters, but Rachel's fathers don't seem impressed.

"Rachel, honey, she's your teacher. Didn't you learn anything after what happened with Mr Schuester?" LeRoy asks her gently, but his tone isn't as forgiving when he turns his attention to Cassie. "And you... well, you ought to know better. Aren't there rules against this sort of thing?"

"Yes, there are, but I don't work at NYADA anymore, so it's not an issue," she informs him calmly, but she can't maintain the pretence for long. "And who the hell is Mr Schuester?" she demands, and Rachel's eyes widen. She opens her mouth to respond, but Hiram beats her to it.

"He was the Director of Glee Club. Rachel was smitten with him," Hiram informs her, with a conspiratorial smile.

"When I was a child," Rachel hastens to add, clutching Cassie's hand a little tighter.

"He brought her home one night after she turned up unexpectedly at his house," LeRoy continues, undeterred, "And I'm still not sure what happened, because Rachel was too embarrassed to talk about it, but he said something about her... cleaning the bathroom and cooking him dinner?"

"Well, now you come to mention it, that does sound strangely familiar," Cassie observes, narrowing her eyes at Rachel. "And here was me, thinking I was special."

"You are special," Rachel reassures her, with something approaching desperation. She nestles into Cassie's side, and LeRoy and Hiram exchange an amused glance.

"OK, girls, come on inside," Hiram says, holding open the front door for them, and Cassie starts to breathe a little easier, until he stops Rachel in her tracks by gently grasping her shoulder.

"Honey, is that grass in your hair?" he asks, and Cassie stays rooted to the spot, biting her knuckles.

"You told me that you got it all out!" Rachel says, in an accusatory tone, and Cassie looks at her helplessly.

"I thought I did!"

Rachel regards her parents with wide eyes. "I got travel sick and I... I had to lie down for while," she informs them haltingly.

"In a field," Cassie supplies helpfully, but when their eyes lock, she can't hold it together anymore. She bursts out laughing, and Rachel makes a valiant effort not to join in, but soon they're both in stitches.

"And I take it you weren't feeling well, either?" Hiram ventures, plucking a blowball out of Cassie's hair with a knowing smile.

"I guess all of that fresh air was a shock to the system," she demurs.

"Oh, it looks like there was something in the air, all right," Hiram observes, and their laughter starts anew.

"I don't even want to know," LeRoy mutters, and Cassie baulks when he catches her winking at Rachel.

She hastily averts her gaze, focusing on the décor instead, and she smirks when she sees the wall-to-wall photographs of Schwimmer. The house is practically a shrine to her, and Cassie intends to pore over – and ridicule - every last one of those pictures; starting with the one of Schwimmer sitting on a potty wearing a pastel pink tutu.

"So, how old are you, Cassandra?" Hiram asks her, and Cassie regards him defiantly.

"Thirty-three."

LeRoy lets out a low whistle. "Wow, that's quite the age gap," he observes, and Cassie resists the urge to make a cutting remark about his tendency to state the obvious.

"If it's any consolation, judging from her behaviour in the car on the way over here, her mental age is significantly lower than that," Rachel informs them, and Cassie's mouth falls open in outrage.

"Well, it's funny you should say that, because I had a peek inside your closet earlier, and apparently, you used to dress like you'd stepped straight off the short bus."

Hiram snorts, covering his mouth with his hand, and Rachel glares at him.

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side," she protests, but she's clearly trying not to laugh, "Don't encourage her."

"So, Cassie, you mentioned that you're not working at NYADA anymore? Is that because you like to sleep with your students, or was there another reason behind your departure?" LeRoy ventures, and Cassie sucks in a sharp breath.

"I made some mistakes," she admits, staring down at her hands, "One of my students took my criticisms a little too personally and she..." Cassie trails off, biting her lip, because she wasn't expecting it to still feel this raw.

"She deprived me of the best teacher I've ever had," Schwimmer interjects softly, reaching for her hand. Cassie manages a shaky smile, brushing her thumb over Rachel's knuckles.

"Well, it didn't seem to do you any harm. Did you show your Dads your midterm results? Straight 'A's," she informs them proudly, mostly just to change the subject, and Rachel beams up at her.

"That's great, honey," LeRoy says warmly. "I'll make your favourite Latkes to celebrate."

"But Cassie doesn't eat - "

"It's fine," Cassie assures her, even though she doesn't have a clue what she's agreeing to.

Rachel's expression softens, and Cassie prays that being polite isn't going to involve forcing down a never-ending procession of hearty Jewish meals.

"Well, I have to say, Cassie, when I told you to take care of my daughter, this isn't exactly what I had in mind," LeRoy says bluntly, glancing back and forth between them, and Cassie tries not to look like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"I realise that," she says wryly, looking down at Rachel, "And believe me, I tried to keep my distance, but your daughter's not very good at taking 'no' for an answer."

She smiles at Schwimmer to take the sting out of her words, and Rachel shifts a little closer, snuggling into her shoulder.

"So what are you saying? That she coerced you into coming here?" LeRoy asks her, and Cassie wonders if Rachel would forgive her if she punched him in the face.

"No," she counters, trying to keep her voice level, "I'm here because I love her," she concludes simply.

"She did just spend nine hours in a car with her, LeRoy," Hiram points out, and Cassie laughs at Rachel's indignant expression.

"You have your own stage?" Cassie squawks incredulously, "Schwimmer, do you have any idea how obnoxious that is?"

"You're just jealous," Rachel counters, and Cassie grins.

"And you're a spoiled brat."

Feeling significantly better now that they're finally free of Rachel's parents, Cassie grabs a chair and jumps up on stage.

"Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets," she sings, draping herself over the seat and sending a smouldering look in Rachel's direction, "And, little man, little Lola wants you."

She still remembers every step of the routine she perfected for Damn Yankees, even though the audience never got to see past the intro, and she dances the choreography as seamlessly – and as suggestively - as she did back then.

"Make up your mind, to have no regrets..." she continues, but her voice breaks on the last syllable and she hastily clears her throat, hugging herself self-consciously. When she finally works up the nerve to meet Rachel's gaze, she realises that Schwimmer's staring up at her with glistening eyes.

"It kills me that you never got to perform," Rachel says, in a tone that's sad and angry at the same time, "You would have been spectacular."

Cassie shrugs, picking up the chair and setting it back down on the floor.

"Don't sweat it, Schwimmer," she says, but Rachel's still looking at her with an expression that makes her feel far too exposed.

"Look, I'm gonna go freshen up, OK?" she tells her, and Rachel nods her agreement.

"OK, but - "

"I'm fine," Cassie reassures her, patting her hand when it comes to rest against her forearm. "I just need a minute, that's all."

She jogs up the basement steps, but she stops in her tracks when she hears LeRoy and Hiram in the midst of a heated discussion.

"So I'm supposed to be happy that our daughter's dating the biggest basket case in Broadway's history?" LeRoy demands, and Cassie feels like she's been punched in the stomach. She grips the banister, holding her breath, and waits for Hiram's response.

"LeRoy, you don't even know her. You can't judge her on the basis of something that happened a lifetime ago. She seems fine now. Besides, weren't you the one gushing over how charming she was on New Year's Eve?"

"That was before I knew she had designs on our daughter. Come on, Hiram, you saw the video," LeRoy protests, "She looked like she was having some kind of psychotic break. They don't call her 'Crazy July' for nothing. Didn't her management have her sectioned, or something?"

Cassie flinches, biting her lip, and it feels like she's suffocating.

"For God's sake, LeRoy, you can't believe everything you read on the internet," Hiram says, clearly trying to placate him. "I, for one, think they're darling together."

"Which is why you're a hopeless romantic, and I'm a realist," LeRoy counters. "I'm telling you now, that woman's going to be nothing but trouble for our daughter."

"LeRoy, please, can't you see how happy she is?" Hiram pleads. "Don't ruin this for her."

"Well, I'm sorry, Hiram, but I'm not going to stand back and watch our little girl throw her life away," he says, with unnerving vehemence. "Not again. She's been through enough already."

It all sounds like white-noise after that, and Cassie tiptoes past the living room, inching her way up the stairs on legs that feel too enervated to support her flagging frame.

She's in the middle of gathering her things together when Rachel appears in the doorway, looking bewildered.

"What are you doing?" she asks her tremulously, and when Cassie whirls around, she can see Rachel's eyes are already teeming with tears.

She just shakes her head, because she knows if she tries to speak, she'll probably wind up crying, too.

"What did they say to you?" Rachel demands, and when Cassie doesn't respond, she storms on to the landing and practically bellows, "Daddy! What did you say to her?"

"Rachel, Rachel... listen to me," Cassie compels, seizing her firmly by the shoulders. "The last thing I want to do is cause a rift between you and your Dads," she says hoarsely, "So I'm just... I'm going to remove myself from the equation, OK?"

"No," Rachel whimpers, and she sounds like her heart's about to break into a million pieces, "Cassie, please don't break up with me. I'll die."

"Sweetheart, I'm not breaking up with you." Even though she knows it's only going to make it harder for her to leave, Cassie pulls Rachel into a reassuring hug, squeezing her eyes shut when Rachel clings to her convulsively. "I just want to give your family some space to work things out, that's all. And... don't be mad at your Dads, OK? They only want what's best for you." She swallows around the lump in her throat. "I'll just... I'll see you when you get back."

"You can't drive home. Not now; not like this," Rachel objects, reaching for her hands, "You're shaking."

"I just..." Cassie hastily swipes at her eyes. "I can't be here right now, OK?"

"Then I'm coming with you," Rachel says determinedly, and Cassie looks on in horror as she yanks her suitcase out of the closet.

"What's going on?" LeRoy demands, but he looks concerned as he looms in the doorway.

"Well, apparently, you're incapable of being civil to my girlfriend, so we're leaving," Rachel informs him in a clipped tone.

"You overheard us arguing?" Hiram asks anxiously, and Cassie sucks in a ragged breath, turning to face them.

"Look, it's fine, OK? I get it. If I had a daughter, I wouldn't be all that stoked about her dating me, either. And you're right," she chokes out, turning her attention to LeRoy, "I was a train-wreck. I hated the world and pretty much everything in it, and when Rachel turned up to my class, all bright-eyed and optimistic, I wanted to hate her, too. I wanted to knock her down a couple of pegs and make her as miserable as I was."

"Cassie - " Rachel says quietly, but Cassie shrinks away from her touch, because she knows it won't take much for her to break completely.

"But she wouldn't let me," Cassie concludes, avoiding Rachel's gaze as she hastily pulls on her jacket, "She cut through my defences and saw through all of my cynical bullshit, and she made me remember what it's like to feel actual human emotion. She's the most talented person I've ever met, and trust me, I know I don't deserve her, but when we were driving here today, I realised something."

She takes a deep breath, levelling Rachel with a watery smile.

"I realised that I'm happy. All of my dreams have fallen by the wayside and my life's a fucking mess, but for the first time in years, I'm happy. And that's... that's all because of your daughter." Cassie purses her lips, willing back the surge of emotion that's threatening to overwhelm her. "So I'm sorry, LeRoy, if I don't meet up to your expectations, but Rachel makes me feel like I'm living, instead of just existing, and you can say whatever the hell you want, but I'm not giving her up. Not now, not ever."

Cassie takes a shuddering breath, and when she sees the tears streaming down Rachel's face, she reaches out to tenderly wipe them away.

"Stay here, OK?" she says softly, "Catch up with your friends, have fun, and I'll see you soon." She presses a lingering kiss against Rachel's forehead, and then she reaches for her bag, moving towards the door.

"Cassie, wait."

LeRoy rushes to intercept her, effectively blocking her exit.

"Get out of my way," she says lowly, but her body goes limp when he holds up a hand to stall her.

"You don't have to go," he reassures her, "I know I haven't exactly gone out of my way to make you feel welcome, but I obviously misjudged you and I... I'm sorry, OK?" He rests a hand against her shoulder. "Do you think we can start over?"

It takes a moment, but Cassie nods, dropping her bag to the floor, and she sucks in a sharp breath when LeRoy pulls her into a crushing hug.

"You make her happy, too, you know? I may be an idiot, but even I can see that," he informs her, and Cassie's composure finally crumples. She lets out a hitching sob, burying her face in his shoulder, and he holds her tightly.

"Oh honey, don't cry," he soothes, and Cassie feels hot tears streaming down her face when Rachel crosses the room, wrapping her arms around her waist. Cassie turns into her embrace, and the next thing she knows, she's smack-bang in the middle of a Berry family group hug.