Faberry week, prompt #2 : Fababy. Enjoy.
"Mommy," Rachel opens one eye lazily, seeing a puff of blonde curls poking out in her line of vision. "Mommy." Rachel lifts her head from the pillow and sure enough, little Maria is standing there, her eyes watery and her bottom lip advanced in a pout.
"Hey baby girl," she runs her fingers through her daughter's curls and cups her chin. "What's wrong?"
"Had bad dream."
Rachel frowns and lifts Maria up on the bed. The four-year-old immediately curls up against her side and Rachel wipes the drying tears off the little girl's cheeks.
Maria sobs. "I want Momma."
Rachel's heart aches and bites down on her bottom lip. She wishes Quinn were with them, Maria misses her so much. "Oh sweetie... I know you do. But we've talked about this honey, Momma is not going to be home for another two months."
" 'Cause she's fighting the bad guys?"
Rachel tightens her hold on Maria. "Yes, but also because people need help."
"I want her here, mommy," Maria says, tears streaming down her cheeks. Rachel holds hers back and kisses her daughter's head. "Call?"
"I don't know baby, let me check." She looks at the clock and reaches for her phone. She dials Quinn's number and waits. To her surprise, Quinn actually picks up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey baby," Rachel greets. Her voice wavers, because she hasn't been able to reach Quinn in over a week.
"Hi." Quinn's voice softens and Rachel looks at their daughter. "How are my girls?"
Rachel puts the phone on speaker and Maria's eyes widen when she hears her momma's voice. "Momma! I miss you!"
"I miss you too baby girl. You taking good care of Mommy? And of your little brother?"
"He's not even born yet!" Maria says, while her hand moves to Rachel's baby bump.
"I know. But you can talk to Mommy's stomach and he'll hear you. He can get used to your voice that way." Quinn says softly.
"Come home, Momma."
"I will, in two months, baby girl."
"No, now!" Maria shouts and Rachel wants to cry so hard. She nibbles on her bottom lip and rubs Maria's back.
"I can't sweetie. I have to do my job. But I'll be home a little bit before your brother is born, okay?"
"When's that?"
Quinn sighs. "I'll be home in 62 days, I promise. In 62 days, I'll walk into our house, okay?"
"Quinn..." Rachel says softly, because she does not want Quinn to keep a promise she does not have a hold onto. Tomorrow she could be dead.
Quinn ignores her wife. "You hear me, Maria? In 62 days. Until then, I need you to take really good care of your mommy and your brother for me, okay?"
"I promise I will, Momma." Maria says with determination.
"Good."
Maria sighs and relaxes as Rachel keeps racking her fingers through her hair. "Momma?"
"Yeah baby?"
"Can you sing for me? I miss your voice."
"Of course I can. Just close your eyes, okay?" Maria does as she is told and soon she goes to sleep surrounded by Quinn's angelic voice. Rachel smiles and drops a kiss to her daughter's forehead.
"Quinn, honey, you can stop now, she's asleep."
Rachel hears Quinn clear her throat. "I miss you."
The brunette tries to keep her tears at bay but there is no helping it. They spill over her cheeks and down her neck. Her voice wavers when she speaks. "I miss you too, so much."
"Can you do something for me?"
Rachel nods her head, even though Quinn can't see it. "Anything."
"Can you put the phone near your stomach? I want the baby to hear my voice."
Rachel giggles but obliges. "Alright, all set."
"Hi baby boy, I'm your Momma. I know I am very far away right now but soon I'll be right with you and your mommy and your big sister. We're going to be a very happy family and you are going to be spoiled by every single person around you, especially your Grandpa and Poppa. Even your aunt Santana, even if she won't admit she loves you. I can't wait to meet you and see your beautiful brown eyes."
Rachel puts the phone back to her ear. "You're such a dork."
"I wish I was there is all."
"I know Quinn. Me too. How is everything going there? Noah is not traumatizing you, is he?"
"No. Noah is behaving."
Rachel yawns, causing Quinn to smile. "Go to sleep baby. Maybe we can skype soon."
"I love you. Be safe."
"I will and I love you too Rach."
Quinn hangs up and can see Puck smiling smugly. "What's up, Puckerman?"
He throws the basketball he has been playing with at her. She catches it easily. "You are such a sap, Fabray."
She throws the ball back at him. "Am not. You're just jealous 'cause you're not married yet." She lies back on the bed and sighs, closing her eyes briefly.
"Whatever. I'll find a girl when I go home."
"You do that," Quinn says and smiles. "When I go home I get to meet my son."
"Can I stop by to see him too?" Puck asks.
Quinn shrugs non chalantely. "I guess. I'm sure my boy would like to meet his godfather after all."
It takes a while for Puck to put the pieces together. He sits up on his bed and stares at Quinn with wide eyes. "Seriously? Are you-are you serious?"
Quinn bites down on her lower lip and nods her head. "You are my best friend, Puck. And I think you'll be a great godfather for Rachel and I's son. If you accept, of course."
Quinn squeals in surprise when Puck lifts her up and squeezes her tight. He sets her down and kisses her cheek. Quinn giggles and hugs him tight because well, he's going to be her son's godfather.
61 days later...
"Mommy, is Momma back tomorrow?" Maria asks excitedly as soon as she gets into the car at the end of the day, when Rachel picks her up from school. Rachel makes sure she is safely buckled up before pulling away from the curb.
"Yes baby, she's supposed to be back tomorrow. Are you excited?"
"Heck, yeah!" Maria shouts an Rachel laughs, she has got to stop letting her have sleep overs at Santana's. Rachel pulls to a stop in front of their house, letting Maria play outside while she starts making dinner.
Maria is upstairs playing in her room when Rachel gets a text from Quinn. Tell Maria to go outside.
Rachel smiles and tells her daughter that she has a surprise waiting for her outside. She follows the little blonde out of the house and chuckles when Maria gasps and runs as fast as she can into Quinn's waiting arms.
"Momma! You came home early!" Maria cries into Quinn's neck, wrapping her little legs around her mother's waist.
"I did. I've missed you so much my beautiful girl," she whispers against her daughter's ear, tightening her hold on her and burying her nose into the messy curls, inhaling the child's scent. Quinn lifts her head then, and meets Rachel's gaze. She strides toward her wife, still in her uniform, and wraps her other arm around her, kissing her head as Rachel slips her arm around her waist and rest her head on Quinn's chest.
Feel good to be home.
Later that night, once Maria is put to sleep after two bedtime stories, one song and a promise not to leave too soon, Quinn changed into shorts and a sweater before joining Rachel out on the patio with two mugs of hot tea.
Rachel, clad in one of Quinn's Columbia sweatshirt and sweat pants, sits on the swinging bench, her hand lightly rubbing her stomach. Quinn sits next to her sets the mugs on the floor before gathering her wife into her arms. Rachel tilts her head and claims Quinn's lips with her own in a gentle, loving kiss.
Quinn rests her forehead against her wife's when they part, her hand cupping Rachel's cheek, pulling her lips back to hers.
"You have no idea how much I've missed you, baby." Rachel murmurs when they pull away. She takes Quinn's hand and guides it to rest on her swollen belly. "He missed you too."
"I've missed all three of you very much. But I'm home now. And I'm not leaving right away."
"Good," Rachel says, tears flooding her eyes. "Because I need you here, with me, with us."
"Rach, baby... I'm sorry."
Rachel wipes the wetness off her cheeks, but more spill from her eyes. "No... It's not your fault. I'm just so scared all the time. I'm scared to turn the radio on in the morning, I'm scared to read the paper. I'm scared to see men clad in blue uniforms walking up the driveway..."
Quinn cups Rachel's face with both hands. "Baby, if you want me to put my foot down, I will."
"No, that's not it. I just want you to be careful. And to thing, before you get into a complicated situation, about your family that's waiting for you at home. Just don't risk anything, okay? Be careful."
"I am careful. I promise you Rach, all I think about is the three of you when I'm far away. It gives me strength, and courage."
"I love you," Rachel whispers, kissing Quinn's temple. "I just really love you and I want you to know that."
"I love you too, Rach. You, Maria and our baby boy. You all mean the world to me."
When Quinn is set to leave five months later, Rachel tucks a photo of the four of them in the pocket of her jacket. Quinn kisses Matthew's head, cheeks and hands one last time before setting him back into his crib.
"Take care of our girl, okay baby boy? I'm counting on you." Matthew wraps his little fingers around Quinn's thumb and that nearly enough to convince Quinn not to leave. She clears her throat and runs her finger down her son's chubby cheek before straightening up.
"Quinn? We need to leave if we want to catch that plane," Puck reminds her. She nods.
"Okay," she knows he voice is wavering but she puts it aside, as well as the tears filing her eyes. "I'll be right there Puck."
Puck gets the clues and leaves the house after waving Rachel and Maria goodbye. Quinn walks over to them and purses her lips. Maria throws herself into her mother's arms and squeezes as tight as she can, burying her small face in Quinn's neck.
She sets Maria down then, and hugs her wife, giving her a light kiss on the lips. "I love you."
"I love you too. Be safe."
Quinn nods and waves one last time at her girls before closing the front door behind her. She gets into the car and wipes at her cheeks, Puck giving her shoulder a squeeze. Quinn pulls out the picture from her jacket, a photo of she with Rachel and Maria at the hospital the day Matthew was born. She flips it and read Rachel's handwriting.
Be safe.