The small town of Lima Ohio is not a big fan of differences. Citizens are expected to rigidly conform. Church is every Sunday at 11 o'clock and football games are Fridays no exceptions. It's a typical all American town and you could imagine their surprise when little Quinn Fabray grew wings.
Quinn was anything but normal yet she tried so hard to be. Her extremely catholic parents consulted priests across the country to "Cure" their daughter but nothing worked. She was a happy, ordinary five year old, minus the wings which she seemed to have no problem with. They sprouted from her back, continuously growing, eventually stretching seven feet across. Quinn found these wings to be the greatest things ever, if only others saw them the way she did.
But by the time Quinn turned nine she had been poked and prodded more times than her little fingers could count. Doctors went as far as cutting off her wings with the consent of her father only to have them grow back. The whole experience had been tremendously traumatic and not to mention painful.
She had overheard her parents on the phone planning to have her wings surgically removed; that's when Quinn decided to run away. All she wanted was to go to school, have sleepovers, and just generally do things that regular girls do; but with wings.
So little blonde haired green eyed Quinn Fabray opened her first story bedroom window and climbed out. She limped slightly from her tiny feet hitting the frozen stiff ground. Her tears froze to her face as she walked down the cracked sidewalk past superbly manicured lawns.
Quinn has nowhere to go, no family to take her in, and no place to call home.
The night grew darker, the moon illuminated Quinn's pale face giving her eyes green eyes a golden quality. She tentatively takes off her jacket despite the cold, leaning up against an old oak tree in some neighbor's yard. Quinn flexes what remains of the muscles attached to her wings and lets her pure white feathers stretch to their full length. They are already mostly grown back from her parents distorted attempts to love their child although it had only been a few days.
Quinn takes a deep breath letting the cold fill her lungs. She has never been permitted to fly before but tonight the stars are calling out to her, daring her to touch them.
"What are you doing?" screeches a small know-it-all voice from above. Quinn screams, quickly folding up her wings and attempting to put on her coat. "Are you crazy? What if a normal human saw your wings, you would have been in so much trouble!"
Quinn frantically looks around searching for the voice. Finally a tree branch lowers itself carrying a short girl with long, chocolate brown hair. Her dark eyes pierce Quinn accusingly. "What were you thinking? You could have gotten me in trouble too!"
"I'm sorry. I…I didn't know you where here. Who are you?" stammers Quinn. "And how'd you do that?"
"I'm Rachel Barbra Berry and I can control plants."
"You can control plants?"
"Yes, I sing to them and they do as I ask." Rachel says it like it's the most common thing in the world, but for her it is. "And you have wings, yes? I saw them from my spot in my tree. May I ask what you are doing out on such a cold night?"
"You talk a lot." Whispers Quinn. Rachel laughs like it's the funniest thing anyone has ever said to her.
"Yeah I know, my dads say I need to work on it."Quinn smiles sheepishly.
"I'm Quinn Fabray and yes I have wings."
"Nice to meet you Quinn Fabray! Wow wings, how cool is that! I bet you are going to the academy for mutants soon with a power like that. My dads say I can go as soon as I'm old enough, technique there's no certain age but they want me to be ready."
"A mutant academy?"
"Yeah, Professor Charles Xavier's school for gifted youngsters! It's in Virginia so it's kinda far away but it's so worth it. Only mutants like us are allowed to attend."
"Like us." Quinn whispers to herself. "So you mean there are others out there?" she says more loudly so Rachel can hear.
"Of course! There are tons of us!" Quinn just stands there in awe, mouth agape.
"Do you think they'd let me in?"
"Yeah, why not, your gift is awesome!" Quinn had never thought of her wings as a gift but this strange girl was getting all excited over them. "Can you stretch them out again, I wanna see." Quinn shrugs and removes her coat. Her wings unfold elegantly and each feather sparkles in the moon light. "Woooooow." Whispers Rachel.
"You can touch them if you'd like." Rachel looks up at smiling Quinn who nods. With a shaking hand Rachel reaches out and strokes the most beautiful creature she has ever seen. Quinn's muscles twitches at the contact making her look almost animalistic.
"You are the most magnificent creature I have ever laid eyes on Quinn Fabray." Quinn turns to face Rachel, cherry red blush covering her face.
"I want you to have this." Says Quinn softly. The girl reaches behind her back and plucks a snow white feather. "Never forget me Rachel." Rachel takes the feather delicately holding it up to the moon light.
"I will cherish this forever. And I want you to have this." Rachel hums a slow tune and stretches her hand towards the lone daffodil fighting the onslaught of winter. The daffodil dances over to Quinn and leaps into the girl's pocket. "And never forget me."
"I could never forget you." The two share a fierce hug, refusing to let go until baby icicles formed on Quinn's long lashes.
"I guess I will see you again at the academy." Says Rachel rather enthusiastically.
"Yeah, we will see each other again." They hug again before Rachel skips off into the warm safety of the house waiting for her and Quinn retreats back to the dark.
She trudges back to her bedroom window, having to stand on a fowl smelling garbage can to get back in. Thoughts of Rachel followed her all the way. That morning Quinn eagerly woke her parents and told them about Professor Xavier and his school. That very evening nine year old Quinn Fabray was on a plane to Professor X's school for gifted youngsters.