AN: When I first started writing this I had no idea it would go this way. It was meant to just be a funny oneshot about Russell always knowing Quinn was gay but it turned into something completely unplanned for. It's a bit different, so all I ask is you try to enjoy something out of it.
Please enjoy.
"Life is trying to expect the unexpected and still being surprised when it happens."
Russel Fabray never had an easy life. Born to a poor Southern Family in the early 60's. His Mother was a terrible drunk and his Father tried his best to keep the small Fabray family together. But working 12 hour shifts at the Mill met little time to spend quality time with his wife and children.
Russell grew up hating everything. His life, his parents, his brothers, his place in society, the only thing he did have going for him was his own brains. Finishing top of his class in Highschool he earned a scholarship to Ohio State, not the most respected of colleges, but it got him out of deep South Georgia.
It was there he met the love of his life. Blonde, blue eyes and straight from Southern California and a transfer student from Arizona State, Judy Ross. She was a year older than Russell but the moment the two met it was a fury of emotions.
Russell was a creature of habit, cold and stiff to everyone. He was a business major but failed highly on the 'personal connection' bit of making good business deals. Judy was a warm hearted loving woman that came from a large Family that spent every moment with each other.
In the end, it was Judy that was able to tear down Russel's walls piece by piece until it got to the point that the man didn't feel right unless he was with her. A year out of college the two married in a quiet event and settled down in Ohio.
As the years went on, the man become to loosen up more and more. To the point that after nearly 20 years of marriage and two children, Russell wouldn't even recognize his younger self. He was 'Daddy' to his two girls, soft spoken and well liked in business circles.
But naturally, good things only went on for so long. Cancer was a dreadful and hateful thing. Coming out of nowhere and ending any happiness someone could have. Judy only had a few passing months before it had taken a unbelievable toll on her.
The balding man sighed loudly at his desk in the high rise building in Columbus. It had nearly been a year since Judy's passing and the memory of the woman still haunted him.
How many times had she crossed through the door of his office, driving nearly 2 hours one way to just spend lunch with him?
His eyes swept over the surface of his desk. There was a number of opened folders on his computer, business deals, plans, emails, it never stopped when running from a business he grew from the ground up.
But they didn't linger that long, stopping over towards the number of framed pictures. There as one of him and Judy from decades ago. One of Frannie that was taken last Spring when him and Quinn visited her at college in California.
And the last one was of Quinn in her Cheerio uniform, a part of the team pictures that had taken at the start of the year. Perhaps that was the only bright side in it all, it was Quinn and Russell that was there from the start and finish with Judy. Frannie was half the way across the country who only could be there now and again.
Russell was never the one that took a role in his daughter's school life, that was always for Judy to do. Since Judy had gone, it was Russell that was showing up to every Cheer event and Glee showcase.
The man was barely understanding how to deal with the lost of Judy. While him and Quinn did talk about everything that happened and did share that understanding pain, he was grateful for Quinn's friends being there.
The top of them being Rachel Berry. If Russell tried to remember, he could remember the name leaving Quinn's mouth a number of times but when the small girl appeared right next to Quinn's side as Judy took a turn to worse, was the first time he met the girl.
It must of been a male thing, but he always found it slightly odd how much time the two spent with each other. He even had the pleasure of meeting the Berry men on a few accounts, Rachel and Quinn always seemed to want him to come to dinner with them.
Granted Russell never really had a lot of close friends when he was Quinn's age, but he found it strange how his daughter seemed to always wanted Rachel around. He saw how Quinn eyes would light up when she saw Rachel or how the two always seemed to catch each other eyes during performances.
The elder Fabray was pulled from his thoughts when his phone started to ring.
"Dad." Quinn's voice rang through his ears as soon as he accepted the call.
"Yes, it is him. Is everything alright?"
Russell could feel the roll of the eyes of his daughter on the other side of the call, "What time are you going to be home tonight? Rachel and I need to talk to you."
"The normal time. Is everything okay, Quinn? Did something happen?"
"Yes! Yes, everything is fine, I'll explain more at dinner tonight, alright?"
Russell mumbled out an 'Okay' before the usual goodbyes of 'Love you' and then the call ended. The man placed his phone back onto the desk, a puzzled look on his face. His daughter was usual quite blunt and to the point. Maybe they wanted to talk to him about going on some trip or something for the upcoming summer.
Quinn stared down at Rachel, hands resting on her hips in the middle of the Fabray kitchen. Quinn still dressed in her Cheerio uniform and Rachel wearing the same mini skirt and sweater from school that day.
"Quinn, this is a bad idea, we both know it."
The blonde had to resist the urge to growl at her small girlfriend, "You were the one just saying we should tell him, why not now?"
"You can't just walk up to him and say 'Oh hey Dad, you know how Rachel keeps on sleeping over, well we're not really sleeping in the traditional sense'." Rachel threw back, trying her best to copy Quinn's tone of voice.
"Why not? It worked for your Dad's."
"Baby, they found in the middle of making out, that's different." Rachel's voice raised slightly, stepping up closer towards her girlfriend.
There was a reason that the two spent a lot of their earlier years of knowing each other going back and forth. Neither girl was afraid of the other. While others croward under Quinn's intense stare or Rachel's loud voice, it was like two forces of the same power meeting in each other every time they had an argument.
Quinn threw her hands up into the air, "We have been trying to ease him into it for months now. I don't know how many jokes your Dad's can use before my Dad starts to take a hint."
Rachel had to resist a giggle as she watched her girlfriend move away from her and towards the fridge, "Maybe that's where you get it from. How many so subtle hints did I have to lay before you finally got it?"
Quinn snapped around back to face her girlfriend, her face red from the thought but held a victory smirk on her face, "Ah, see! If you remember correctly, Ms. Berry, you threw yourself at me. We just need to come right out and say it."
That caused Rachel's mouth to slam shut as she clenched her jaw tightly. Hands going to rest on her hips, "Excuse you, Quinn. I didn't throw myself at you. If you remember correctly you were the one that cornered me after Glee practice and tried ravishing me against a piano."
"Only after you spent months dancing around in your small skirts and then trying to steal my boyfriend, let me remind you."
The two were standing in front of each other, lingering smiles on both their faces as Rachel leaned up to wrap her arms around Quinn's neck and stole a quick kiss. The two rested their foreheads against each others.
"I am just worried," Rachel's voice was no higher than a whisper, "I want him to like him and after everything that has happened.."
Quinn's body went stiff at the mention of her Mom. Her arms tightened around Rachel and hugged her close. Trying to hold back the fresh set of tears that were already starting to build. If it had not been for the amazing creature that was her girlfriend, Quinn didn't know where she would be.
"You don't understand, Rachel. He knows how much you have helped me. And that's why I want to tell him, I can't hide this from him anymore, he's all I have left now. I have to tell him, I want to be with you around him." Quinn mumbled out while her arms kept Rachel tight to her.
She felt Rachel shift and their eyes met. Quinn could feel Rachel's fingertips moving up her right cheek and brushing past a stray tear," Well you're wrong on one thing, dumby."
Quinn had to resist the urge to roll her eyes and settled for a small giggle. Only Rachel was able to take her from nearly crying to laughing in the matter of moments, "And what's that?"
"You have me now too. You're kinda stuck with me at this point."
When Russell walked through the door, he could smell the familiar scent of food being cooked in the kitchen. He did have to admit ever since Rachel walked into their lives at least him and Quinn ate well.
It was only a short time later that the three were seated around the dining room table. He could still feel a pang of pain in his heart as he looked over towards the empty chair on the other end of the table. How many times had he looked over to see his wife's knowing smile as they listened to one of their daughters go off on something.
The man had to give a mental shake of his head as he watched Quinn and Rachel go back and forth about something.
"You two fight like an old married couple." Russell commented in between bites of his food.
He noticed the way Rachel's cheeks flushed red and dipped down to stare at her plate and a small smile on Quinn's face as she looked on at Rachel.
"So what was it that you girls wanted to talk to me about?" Russell said through the silence that had fallen over the table since his last comment.
Once again he watched as the two girls went stiff in their seats. The air shifted from a pleasant evening to a tenseful silence as both girls seemed to be having a silent conversation with each other.
"I am not sure how to start this, Dad."
"Usually from the start, Honey."
Quinn sighed loudly at her Father's attempt at a joke.
Russell's eyes were on his daughter's as she seemed to struggle to find her words before she finally blurted out, "I am gay."
Silence filled the room again as the words rang through Russell's head. He could feel the eyes of both girls on him as memories flashed in front of his head. He remember when he was small about a number of 'faggots', as his mother had put it, that lived in Atlanta. How many times did he agree with her? From faggots, to Blacks, to anything and everything to hate.
He hadn't thought about any of it in years, ever since Judy walked into his life.
He moved his eyes from Quinn and back to Judy's empty seat. A part of him wondered how she would respond to Quinn saying this? Judy always seemed to know their daughters so well, maybe that was why she was so okay with Rachel being there with the Family.
Maybe it was the long stressful work day, or the news his daughter just threw at him, but before his eyes, he could see Judy sitting there. Sipping from a glass of wine and giving him a knowing look. He watched as Judy stood from her seat and walked around the table and pressed a kiss to the top of Quinn's head.
Finally he snapped out of his trance, his eyes snapping back towards Quinn who looked close to tears, "Why are you crying?"
That seemed to send Quinn over the edge, the girl dropping her fork as sobs started to rock her body, "I..i..I ju..just need you to accept me."
Russell didn't think twice before he was on his feet and wrapping his arms around his daughter and pulling her into his arms. Quinn cried into her Father's shirt, Russell's arms hugging her tight, "Oh Quinn."
Russell understood how much it must've taken Quinn to say those words to him. After the death of Judy, she was afraid of losing him too. Most likely just as much as Russell feared losing Quinn or Frannie now. Judy, his girls, had changed everything about him. Going from so much hate to only love, Russell could never understand how a parent could hate their own child for being gay.
It took a few moments before Russell's hands went to rest on Quinn's shoulders and held her at arm's distance. Quinn's hair was a mess, her eyes were red and puffy, "You and Frannie are all I have left in this world. Quinn, you don't have to be afraid. You will never know how much I love you or Frannie. Quinn, it was me and you every step of the way when Judy took her final turn for the worse. No matter who you are or who you become, I can never hate you. It's not physically possible."
He knew he had tears in his eyes, but seeing his daughter break down for the first time in months, it was all too much for him. Quinn had to understand that as long Quinn was happy, so was Russell.
Quinn smiled through her tears and threw her arms around her Dad's neck before hugging him tightly, "I love you, Dad."
Father and daughter sat on a small bench that was placed in one of the rooms that branched off from the main entrance.
Quinn, dressed in a fancy and perfect white dress while Russell was dressed sharply in a black and white tuxedo.
Both looked older, Quinn had one or two stress lines from the college years alongside her job now in New York and Russell's age was finally catching up with him. A large bald spot on the top of his head added in with the once brown color turned fully grey now.
The two were quiet as they stared at the door. The woman sighed loudly as she played with her fingers in her lap.
Russell moved his hand over and clasped his daughter's nervous hands, "We can still make a run for it. Be in Mexico by this time tomorrow."
Quinn couldn't help but to give a small giggle, "Rachel would have us chased down and dragged back here before we could cross the border. You know how long she's been planning this day."
"She sure screamed at me enough times over the past few months about nearly every little thing. How many years as it been and I am still surprised about her ability to talk over everyone else?" Russell teased, his eyes dipping down to look down at his daughter.
Quinn gave a sort of wry grin in return, her eyes still looking down at the ring on her finger, "She's always been my star."
It made Russell's heart ache a small bit, but smiled nevertheless. It had been lonely for him when Quinn and Rachel went off to college. Quinn made sure to keep in regular contact, but Russell never had many friends outside of his Family, if it had not been for the Berry men ensuring he went outside, he had no idea where he would be.
"Dad, what do you think Mom would say?" Quinn's voice was no higher than a whisper, looking up at her Father.
It was the first time Quinn had ever asked about that in all the years she had been with Rachel. Not even at the start of it all that Quinn ever asked Russell what he thought Judy would think about Quinn being lesbian.
Russell found himself at a lost of words for the oddest reason. He knew Judy wouldn't care, just like himself. Frannie and Quinn were their whole lives. And it's not like he could explain that moment around the dinner table years previously.
But instead he found his eyes moving over towards one of the tall windows that shined sunlight into the side room. And there again, for the first time in years, he swore he could see Judy standing there, just in where the light was hitting the ground. If he blinked, it could simply be a play of the eyes with the sun.
She smiled at him and waved, making a small sad smile to come to the aged man's face.
"She's here, Quinn, in one way or another. Because you and Frannie were her whole world. She would of met Rachel blow for blow when it came to planning this wedding, I am certain." Russell tore his eyes from the light and gave a one armed hug to Quinn.
Quinn just smiled up at him and wiped a few lingering tears before there was a knock on the door and Hiram Berry peeking his head in, "Show time you two. Let's get this wedding done, I can already hear the open bar calling me."
"Well, you heard the man, can't keep him from his booze a moment longer." Russell chuckled as he made onto his feet and offered his hand to Quinn.
AN: Wasn't that bad now was it? I might write a prequel about how Rachel and Quinn actually got together in this AU world. Not sure really. This was just something to help me with my writer's block as I work on a larger project.
I did have to resist a number of 'Dad' jokes.
"Hi Gay, I am Dad."
