Rachel watched as Quinn's lie destroyed her already shattered world. Quinn's parents had thrown her out, wanting nothing to do with their 16 year old pregnant unmarried daughter. Now Finn was throwing her out for lying to him about being the baby's father. Rachel tried to feel a sense of righteous satisfaction, after all Quinn should not have lied to Finn about the paternity of the child she was carrying. It was not fair to Finn to be taking responsibility for a child that was not his nor was it fair to allow him to become attached to the child thinking he was the baby's dad. It was not fair to Puck either for that matter. He wanted to take responsibility for the child but Quinn did not want to admit that not only had she had sex before marriage but she had sex with her boyfriend's best friend! Rachel knew that she certainly should not be feeling guilty for being the one to tell Finn the truth, but the nagging little feelings were prodding at her. Sure, she and Quinn were not friends in any definition of the word but was what she had done by telling Finn any better then when Quinn would draw obscene drawings of her in the girl's bathroom? Finn and Puck both deserved the truth coming out but she knew in her heart that the truth should not have come out from her but rather from Quinn herself. When she really let herself think about what her reasoning for telling Finn had been, she realized she did it out of spite, a way to get some kind of revenge on the former Head Cheerio who had tormented her for years. Her dads would not be proud of the choice she had made. It was a selfish, childish act and she knew she was responsible for some of the trauma that the teenage girl was suffering through. Well, she was not sure how she could make amends for what she had done but she knew she would not be able to face herself until she at least apologized for her action. Rachel pulled herself up, squared her shoulders and strode purposely forward toward the crying girl.
Quinn looked down at the smaller girl now standing directly in front of her. "Great," she thought to herself, "just who I want to deal with right now!" Granted, there really was not any time that she actually did want to deal with the overly chatty, opinionated younger girl, but did Rachel really have to be there to watch her falling apart? The smaller girl for once had yet to speak, which was odd enough but the scared look in her eyes was even more out of place. Rachel was not scared of being slushied on a daily basis nor was she scared to face Ms. Sylvester when the aggressive gym teacher shouted at her for not being able to keep up with the rest of the students in the gym class. Surely there was nothing about talking to Quinn that could be responsible for putting that look in her eyes and silencing her? "What is it Berry? Do you actually have something to say or did you just want to stare at the pregnant crying loser?" Quinn spat out, tired of waiting for Rachel to finally speak.
"No, no, no...I don't want to stare at you. Not that you are a loser either. Pregnant and crying you are but that still doesn't make you a loser. After all, you will only be pregnant for approximately nine months and after that you will be able to get back into your usual routine and even while you're pregnant, you really shouldn't stop some form of exercise program in order to remain at your best health! You should speak to your obstetrician about coming up with a pregnancy safe exer-"
"Berry! Shut up! My god! Did you have something you actually needed to talk about or were you just standing there waiting to give me pregnancy tips?" Quinn interjected sharply. First Rachel wasn't speaking at all and now she sounded like the chipmunks giving her a lecture on exercising!
Rachel felt her cheeks warm as she blushed. This was not going at all how she had planned. She took a deep breath and started again. "I wanted to apologize to you Quinn. I was selfish and childish. I told Finn that Puck was the father of your child. If you want to punch me, go ahead." Rachel then took a breath and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the anticipated assault. "Please just try to avoid my nose!"
Quinn stood staring at the girl in front of her. A flash of anger flew through her body and for a brief moment she honestly did consider physically attacking the cowering figure standing before her. Just as quickly as it came though, the anger passed through her and she was once again consumed in her sadness. Laughing dryly Quinn responded, "Open your eyes Berry. I'm not going to hit you. You may have had no right to tell Finn about my lies but he had to find out the truth at some point so maybe I should be thanking you for just getting it over with for me."
Rachel's dark eyes flew wide open, gapping at Quinn while she delicately touched her nose to be sure that it was still stable. "You're not going to hit me? You have been thrown out of your second home in less then a month's time and this time, it was my fault that your recent secret has been revealed! It is my fault that you are now once again an unmarried, pregnant teenager who has no job and no home. How can you not be hitting me in the face for my part in this current situation?"
Quinn listened as Rachel rambled on, listing everything that was now wrong in her life. How had she fallen so far? How had she gone from Head Cheerleader, Head Bitch in Charge, living in a large house with her wealthy Christian parents with whom she attended mass every weekend to this stereotypical blonde Barbie who preaches chastity one day then sleeps with her boyfriend's best friend while she is drunk the next day! How did her life become so much of a disaster that she was now just realizing that she will be spending her first night on the street since she has no idea if Lima, Ohio even has women's shelter! She could hear the petite tyrant rambling on her apologies but she had stopped paying attention to her actual words. She felt her body beginning to give up as he legs slid out from under her and she landed hard on the sidewalk edge just as the tears broke free and she could no longer hold back the intense sadness she was feeling for the life she used to have and for the life that was now living inside her..
"Quinn!" Rachel shrieked, dropping her things and immediately grasping Quinn's shoulders as if to prevent her from a full collapse. "Are you okay? Is it the baby? Should I get the nurse?" Rachel rambled without giving Quinn even time to answer one question before asking the next.
"Rachel!" Quinn yelled for the second time in a matter of minutes, "The baby is fine! I just felt, I don't know, overwhelmed all of a sudden. I guess reality set in. You're right. I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have anyone left to turn to. Santana has no place for me to stay. Brittany's mother is friends with my mother so she isn't even supposed to be hanging around with me outside of school. I went from being the girl who rules the school to being a Lima loser all because I felt fat and let myself drink my virginity away!" She felt herself starting to get hysterical but had no idea how to stop it and she did not want to come apart in front of RuPaul of all people! She tried to push herself up off the sidewalk but Rachel grabbed her and held onto her in what she assumed was an attempt at a hug. That was it, the hysterical laughter just spilled out and she knew she had lost all control.
Rachel held onto Quinn and began rubbing her back slowly to try to soothe the hysterical girl who she knew would not be doing the same if they were in reverse positions. Her fathers had always taught her to be the better person however and she knew that Quinn needed someone supportive right now. "It's okay Quinn, just let it all out. I'm right here." She slowly rocked Quinn back and forth in her arms the way her dads did when she got upset. She wasn't sure if it was what Quinn's parents did to help her but it was the only thing she could think of to do to calm the girl.
Quinn's hysterical giggles gradually gave way to sobbing tears then to quiet sniffles. She sat up after a few minutes and wiped at her eyes. "Rachel, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to me; please don't run home and start telling everyone about how I am now crazy on top of everything else. I don't think I could take anything else right now."
"I have no intention of telling anyone you are crazy Quinn. For one thing, you are not crazy. You are merely an emotionally distraught hormonal pregnant teenager. Secondly, I am bringing you home with me since you have nowhere else to go and I will not stand idly by and watch you prepare to become homeless!"
"Take me home with you! Maybe you are the crazy one Rachel! Since when are we friends? We barely speak and when we do it is usually with me putting you down! Now suddenly you want me to go home and live with you? Either you have lost your mind or I am delusional now!"
"We may not be friends Quinn but you are not in position to look a gift horse in the mouth right now need I remind you. As you said yourself, you are out of options and I am providing you with one. You cannot spend the night on the street in your condition. You must think of the child you are carrying before your pride right now," Rachel stated in a matter of fact manner as she began picking up her own school books as well as the things Quinn had dropped. "You need a warm, safe place to stay and food to provide nutrition for you and your child. My dads have an extra room and I know they would not want you to stay on the street when we have a place you can stay."
Quinn just listened, dumbfounded that the girl she had made it her personal duty to harass on a daily basis for years was now the one person who was willing to help her out. She let Rachel help her to her feet and followed her to her car in a stupor, unable to even think clearly enough to argue or thank her or carry a conversation during the short car ride from the school to Rachel and her dads' house. She was only vaguely aware of Rachel's constant chatter until they pulled into the driveway in front of a two story home with a well manicured front yard. Rachel was finally silent and when Quinn turned to look at her she realized that Rachel was looking at her as if waiting for a response. Clearing her throat, "I'm sorry; I really have no idea what you asked me."
Rachel gave her a sympathetic smile, "It's understandable, you are in a state of shock I am certain. I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to pick up your things from Finn's later tonight or if you would rather wait until tomorrow when you have had more time to rest and he has had a chance to process things more?"
Quinn shuddered uncontrollably at the idea of having to face Finn or his mother now that they knew she had lied about who was the father of her child. She could only imagine what his mother must be thinking of her now. Taking a slow breath to stop the once again approaching flow of tears, Quinn replied, "I don't think I could handle seeing Finn again today. If I didn't need my clothes, I would just let him throw my things away rather then have to see his mother once she finds out what I did."
Rachel considered the possibilities before slowly replying, "Perhaps Finn would be willing to let me pick up your things for you tonight. If you and I were the same size, I would suggest that you just borrow some of my clothes until things have settled down with him but, as you have stated numerous times in the past, I am rather small for my age and we do not share the same taste in clothing styles."
Quinn could not help but to laugh as she pictured herself wearing an argyle sweater that was 3 sizes too small and an inappropriately tiny plaid skirt. "Sorry RuPaul but I don't think that would work out well. People already think I must be the school slut without me walking in looking like I stepped out of a "naughty schoolgirl" porn film!"
"Quinn, I really must ask that while you are staying at my house, you refrain from calling me anything other then my given name. I am not RuPaul or ManHands. My name is Rachel, please remember that, but yes, I agree that you wearing my clothing would not be a good solution to your clothing problem. That settles that then, I will attempt to make arrangements with Finn to pick up your things after dinner tonight. You will need clothes for tomorrow and since you cannot wear mine, we must find a suitable way to recover yours." Rachel stated primly.
For not the first time in the last hour, Quinn found herself feeling bad about her treatment of the younger girl. Here Rachel was, the only person willing to give her a place to stay and she had once again insulted her! "I'm sorry Rachel. I didn't even mean anything; it was just a force of habit. I will try to keep myself from calling you those names. I really do appreciate that you are letting me stay here with you and your dads. After all the things I have said and done to you…I just don't understand why you would let help me like this honestly." Quinn felt the tears threatening to spill once again as she realized just how desperate her situation was.
Rachel reached over and patted Quinn's arm gently. "I told you Quinn, irregardless of how you have treated me, you are still a human being and so is your innocent unborn child. I would not be much of a person if I allowed you to spend even one night on the streets in your condition. I know we are not friends, we barely know each other. I do hope that this will give us a chance to get to know one another and perhaps we will become friends," Rachel told her, her eyes expressing her hope that they would be able to be friends.
"Thanks Rachel. I guess I have to get this over with then. Do you really think your dads will be okay with me staying in their extra room after how I have treated you?" Quinn asked nervously.
Rachel nodded her head rapidly, "Who do you think taught me my morals Quinn? If I failed to offer you a safe place to stay when I knew the situation you are in, my fathers would be disappointed in me and I do not like to disappoint them!" she said with conviction as she shut off her car and began to open her door.
Quinn took a deep breath then stepped out of the car and followed Rachel into the house. She wasn't sure what she expected the house to be like inside. It looked just like every other house on the street from the outside but her parents had never allowed her to speak to any homosexuals so she did not know what kind of houses they had. As they walked inside, she tried to furtively look around but everything appeared normal to her. She thought that the décor was rather warm and inviting and she felt herself begin to breathe a bit calmer.
"Dads! I'm home!" Rachel yelled as she walked toward the staircase, leading Quinn.
"We're in the kitchen Rae, just finishing up getting dinner ready. Do you want me to let you know when it is almost done so you have some time to begin your homework," Quinn heard one of Rachel's fathers respond from farther inside the house.
"Actually, I am going to put my things away and change out of my school clothes but then I will be right back down," Rachel replied. "There is something I need to discuss with the both of you."
"Not another glee club soloist fight I hope!" Quinn heard another male voice reply with a quick laugh following it.
Quinn glanced at Rachel and saw the tiny brunette blush quickly. "No!" Rachel replied vehemently before stomping rapidly up the stairs with Quinn following behind her.
Rachel walked quickly to a door that had a large gold star hanging from it. She opened it and turned to Quinn, "This is my room but you can put your things in here for now until I have a chance to talk to my dads. Just put your things on my desk for now."
Quinn stepped inside the room as Rachel hit the light switch. The walls were covered in Broadway posters and there was a large entertainment cabinet full of musical DVDs. Quinn could not help but giggle since the room was a perfect match to the petite starlet. She went and placed her books and bag neatly on Rachel's desk while Rachel went over to her closet, opened it and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
"I always change when I get home from school. I usually exercise on my elliptical once in the morning and once in the evening as well as practicing my ballet positions and trying to do all that while wearing my skirt would just not be practical and after all it is important to dress appropriately for the civilities one is involved in-" Rachel rambled as she removed her shoes.
"Rachel, it's your house, "Quinn interrupted her. "You don't need to explain to me what you wear in your own house."
"I'm sorry. I guess I am just so used to defending my clothing style that I do so automatically." Rachel walked over to another door way. "This is the bathroom between my bedroom and the spare room that you will be using. While you are here, we will have to share the bathroom. I will be right back out," she explained as she stepped into the other room and closed the door.
Quinn wondered just how much time Rachel spent in the bathroom as she appeared to be more high maintenance then even she herself had been before she got pregnant! She sat down in the desk chair to wait for Rachel. Her mind was still racing. Her life was simply falling apart more and more everyday. She was only 17, how had things gone wrong so fast? She made one mistake, would she be punished for the rest of her life because of it? She felt the tears welling in her eyes and knew that she was rapidly loosing control of herself for the second time in the last 20 minutes.
"Quinn! What happened? I was only gone for about two minutes!" Quinn heard a panicked Rachel squeal. Rachel rushed over to where Quinn was seated then dropped to her knees beside the chair so that she was able to look up at Quinn's bowed head.
Quinn looked down into Rachel's concerned eyes and felt the hysterical laughter building in her throat. Here she was once again falling apart and the girl she had tormented relentlessly for years was the only person who cared about her and her unborn child's welfare! It was not just strange, it was insane! The world must be turning inside out or there was some sort of cosmic happening! Quinn began giggling and quickly could not control the laughter that spilled from her lips.
Rachel ran back into the bathroom and emerged with a cool damp cloth which she used to wipe Quinn's tear streaked cheeks before folding it and laying it on the back of Quinn's neck. She then ran back to the bathroom and this time returned carrying a cup of cold water which she held to Quinn's lips, "Here, drink this. It will help re-hydrate you," she ordered.
Quinn took the cup and began drinking it slowly and felt herself calming down. "I'm sorry Rachel. I guess things just seemed too crazy in my life right now to possibly be real." She took a breath then continued, "Nothing seems to make sense at all anymore. Puck wants me to keep the baby. Finn hates me. My parents don't want to see me and now I am going to be living with you, the one person who has every right to be sitting back and enjoying watching my entire life come apart!"
"I thought that I would enjoy seeing you struggle like you have made me struggle for so long Quinn," Rachel spoke slowly, as if she was just gathering her thoughts at that moment. "Instead, I found myself feeling like I was an awful person for not being there to step in and be your friend. I guess I just am not the kind of person who finds pleasure in someone else's pain."
"Someone like me you mean," Quinn stated quietly, her eyes on the floor. She was realizing that she really did not like the kind of person she had become.
Rachel blushed, "Well, I just meant that I don't enjoy it." She reached her hand up to Quinn's arm, "Things will get better Quinn. Finn is angry and hurt right now but he will calm down."
Quinn glanced at Rachel, "I would not blame him if he never spoke to me after what I did to him."
"You made the wrong decision. You were scared and confused and had nobody to turn to that you felt you could talk to about it. You are just a teenager; you're expected to make mistakes. Now let's go back downstairs so I can introduce you to my dads and explain the situation before dinner is ready and on the table." Rachel stood back up.
Quinn used the cool cloth to wipe over her face one more time, took a deep breath then stood up from the chair. She smoothed her dress over her stomach, hoping that it was loose enough to not make it obvious to Rachel's dads that she was pregnant before Rachel had a chance to talk to them. She felt herself getting anxious once more. Her own parents would be furious with her had she invited another student to live with them no matter how temporary it was or how dire the circumstances were! What if Rachel was wrong? What if her fathers did not want to have a pregnant teenager living with them? What if they hated her for how she had treated their daughter? Where would she go if they too threw her out? She had run out of choices and the idea of living on the street or in a woman's shelter terrified her. She followed Rachel out of the room and back down the stairs.
"Did you bring a friend home with you Rae?" a tall, thin man said in a surprised tone. Quinn blushed at the fact that he assumed she was his daughter's friend. Quinn imagined that Rachel did not often bring anyone home with her from school from the look of surprise that was on his face.
"This is Quinn daddy, Quinn this is daddy," Rachel introduced them informally then turned to Quinn to explain, "I call him daddy and my other father dad. It makes things easier." Turning back to her father, "Yes daddy, Quinn. I know you do not understand why she is with me but if you give me a few minutes, I will explain the story to the both of you. Now where is dad? It will be much easier for me to explain it to the both of you at the same time," Rachel stated, leaving no room for questions.
"Right here, Rae," Quinn heard a deeper voice reply from behind her. Turning, she saw Rachel's other father walking in from the living room. He too glanced at her with surprise. "Who is your friend Rae?"
Quinn felt her face getting hotter, knowing that as soon as he heard her name he would not be looking at her quite so happily. "Daniel, this is apparently Quinn and Rachel is getting ready to explain to us just why she is standing in our dining room after being the cause of so much upset and hurt in her life over the past few years," Rachel's daddy replied dryly.
"Dad, daddy, you have always taught me to be forgiving and to help others who are in need of comfort," Rachel began as if she had spent hours preparing this speech. "Quinn has caused me much pain in the past but she is in need of our help and support now. She has no place else to go and she did not ask me for my help. In fact she has tried several times to convince me that I am wrong to offer her any aide." Quinn could see Rachel beginning to settle into the role of savior as she began to speak with more emotion and more expression in her face. "Quinn made a mistake a few months ago and is now carrying a child. She has chosen to carry the child to term and to put the child up for adoption instead of punishing the unborn child or attempting to raise it on her own which would be detrimental to both the child's and her own quality of life. Quinn's extremely religious parents disowned their pregnant daughter upon learning of this. Quinn then spent the last month living in the basement room at her boyfriend Finn's house but when Finn learned that the child was in fact not his but his best friend's child, he threw Quinn out too." Quinn was amazed at just how much her life resembled a soap opera when she heard it narrated by Rachel. Rachel continued, beginning her heartfelt plea to her fathers, "Quinn had nowhere else to turn and would be now walking the cold, hard streets alone and at the mercy of the kind of deviants that spend the nights prowling the empty alley ways looking for someone alone they can take advantage of. Would I be the person you have raised me to be if I left her alone? What kind of person would I be if I watched as she walked away to find some empty door front in which to spend her night instead of offering her the warmth and safety of our spare room? Is that the kind of person you want me to be? Would you be proud of me had I had made that choice instead of the one that has brought Quinn into our home? Would you-"
Daniel could not hold back the laughter any longer. Applauding as he laughed, "Brava! Brava! The Emmy goes to Rachel Berry!" He stepped over to Rachel, hugging her to let her know he was only teasing her. "We get your point Rae. Quinn is welcome to stay in the spare room provided that her torment of you does NOT continue." He sternly looked at Quinn, letting her know that he was not simply going to forget about all the times his daughter came home in tears as a result of Quinn's behaviors.
Quinn stepped forward, "Mr. Berry, I appreciate your allowing me to stay in your home and, as I told Rachel, I would not have blamed you if you had thrown me right back out after all that I have done. You have my word that things will not be the way they have been."
"Thank you Quinn and since you will be joining our family, please call me Daniel and this is Jeremy. Calling us both Mr. Berry will become far too confusing!"
Rachel smiled at Quinn, "See? I told you that they would not throw you out! Now, let's get things on the table for dinner! I have to run over to Finn's to pick up Quinn's things after dinner and then I still need to get Quinn situated in the spare room and do my homework!"
Jeremy gave Rachel a mock salute, "Yes drill sergeant! Right away!"
"Dad! Please do not embarrass me!" Rachel exclaimed.
Daniel laughed, "Rae, if Quinn is spending any length of time living here, you will have to get used to us taking advantage of the opportunity to embarrass our daughter! We don't often get to spend time with your friends or schoolmates!"
Rachel blushed, realizing that Quinn must know that she did not have the kinds of friends who would come over for dinner or to spend the night. "Well, just remember that I know plenty of things that I am certain you would not want me to bring up in front of someone that you barely know!" Rachel threatened.
"Daniel, I do believe Rae is threatening us in our own home! This after we gave in to her whole hearted plea to take in the poor, starving, frozen Quinn!" Jeremy teased.
Quinn caught herself giggling. Rachel really had put on the melodramatics when describing just how drastic her situation was! Lima was not exactly known for being the criminal hotbed that Rachel had made it sound like!
Rachel threw her arms in the air, "Ugh! I give up! Now help me set the table Quinn while the two comedians finish getting dinner ready!"
Smiling, Quinn followed after Rachel into the kitchen. She was surprised just how quickly her anxiety over living at the Berry's house for the time being had disappeared. She felt like she had known Rachel's dads for years.
