"I don't know Puck. I mean, it's a big risk, buying this place. I'm not entirely sure my grandparents had that in mind when they left me the money."
Tossing her now finished cigarette on the ground, Quinn turned around to get one last look at the place in question. The abandoned building, situated between a grocery store and an empty parking lot, seemed like a great place. Only, it didn't seem to be in the best of neighbourhoods.
Quickly walking back inside the building, Quinn sought out the realtor for one last question, leaving Puck to his own devices.
"How long as this place been on the market?" she questioned, glancing over at Puck as he scraped his finger over the graffiti on the front door.
"It has been a while since someone who owned this piece of property actually put it to use. The last owners weren't all that successful with their business."
Quinn pondered for a little while longer. She once again glanced over at Puck, her closest friend, in regards to distance and actuality. Everyone else was gone.
Closing her eyes and exhaling a short breath, she quickly turned to the eagerly awaiting realtor. "I'll take it," she said finally. "Where do I sign?"
The realtor raised her eyebrows, not expecting to hear what she had heard. Not being one to be told twice, she quickly grabbed the papers and a pen, thrusting them into Quinn's hands. "You can sign right here, and I'll take care of the rest. You can come by tomorrow and pick up the keys," she finished eagerly.
Quinn signed where requested and shook the woman's hand. Giving her a wry smile, she turned away and passed through the doors of the place. Her place. Puck was right on her heels as she exited.
"I cannot wait to get started on this Q. You will not regret this, I swear! Who would've thought we'd have our own bar!"
"It's not a bar yet, Puck," Quinn countered sardonically. "There's still a ton of work to do before we can even think about opening it. I hope you're ready for this."
Puck had a permanent smile plastered on his face, ignoring Quinn's poignant comment, daydreaming about, what Quinn imagined to be, throngs of hot bar-hopping girls.
BE-BEEEEEEP! "Hey, it's me. You know what to do..." BEEEEEEEEP! First unheard message.
"Hello Quinn, this is Janet calling from the Bank of America. I'm just calling to let you know that your loan has been approved, and we need you to come by sometime during the week to finalize a few things..."
That's good to know, she thought as she tossed her car keys onto the living room table.
"...Hope to hear from you soon."
Slowly padding into the kitchen, Quinn opened the fridge and grabbed herself a cold beer.
BEEEEEEEEP! Next message.
"Hey Q, it's me, Puck!..."
Quinn grinned. Like I could ever forget...
"...Just calling to let you know that you're the wickedest person ever, and this new bar idea is the wickedest idea ever! Oh, and my mom just called to say she will be home with Lily around five and she says she tried to limit the sugar intake, but that adorable five year old girls are her weakness. Call me back!"
Quinn chuckled at Puck's message. Lily was everyone's weakness.
BEEEEEEEEP! Next message.
"Uh. I'm not sure if I have the right number anymore. It has been a while..."
Quinn's hand paused mid air, her beer a few inches from its intended destination. She quickly turned, glaring at the answering machine upon hearing the recorded voice laugh. That laugh.
"...who am I kidding. I know it's you. I-It's Rachel. I was hoping to catch you in an attempt to ask you out to dinner. Or lunch. O-Or whatever. You see, I'm back in town for a couple of days..."
To this, Quinn finally snapped out of her reverie.
"...a lull in rehearsals so I thought I'd come back to Lima while waiting for things to start back up again. I'm rambling. This is really uncomfortable for me. Call me? I'm at my fathers' place, the number is sti..."
BE-EEEEEEEEP! Message deleted. You have no new messages.
That was the last thing she needed. Rachel Berry, back in her life. Quinn had been through a lot in the last five years. The temporary insanity that was Rachel Berry, or her feelings for the songstress, to be more exact, was in the past and she intended on keeping it that way. No good ever came from digging into the past.
***FLASHBACK Three Years Ago – Graduation Day - 2012***
Quinn could not believe this day had actually arrived. She sat on the hood of her car, graduation cap in one hand, diploma in the other. Officially a High School graduate and not one idea of what to do with it. Flipping the scroll into the air and catching it with ease, Quinn replayed the last three years in her mind. Everything could be narrowed down to her sophomore year.
It was the beginning of her reign as captain of the Cheerio's. Sure, she'd been captain for part of the previous year, due to Susan Humphreys tumbling from the top of the pyramid, fracturing her arm and, coincidently, placing her atop said pyramid.
Then there was Glee. It being only slightly ironic, the fact that the pinnacle of her High School "career" being based in two particularly opposite ends of the social hierarchy that was McKinley High. The two of those ends being tied ever-so-tightly by her teen pregnancy.
Looking back now, Quinn could see that everything worked out for the better. People always say that. "It's for the best, Quinn. You really won't miss being on the Cheerio's. Just think, now you can actually eat things!" as Brittany so eloquently stated, as only Brittany could. In hindsight, Quinn had to agree with her. If you would have asked her back at the end of her freshman year what she would think about being kicked off the Cheerio's and having to cling to the Glee kids for support, she would have laughed in your face. Not Quinn Fabray, HBIC.
But here she was, a 19 year old mother of a two year old girl and member of the back-to-back National Champion, New Directions, and damn proud of it.
Quinn glanced up at the doors directly in front of her, which had just opened to a crowd of graduates hooting and hollering into the open air. Among them was Rachel Berry.
Rachel Berry was just another addition to the whirlwind known as her life at McKinley. They had started out bitter enemies. Bitter on her end, for the most part, but Rachel was not completely innocent. She had tried to steal her boyfriend, after all.
Now, or at least since Lily had been born, they were friends. Rachel had been there for her when no one else was. Even while Quinn was experiencing maternal mood-swings and barking out derogatory names to the brunette that surpassed anything she ever called her during their "enemies" phase.
Rachel was stubborn, and eventually, Quinn grew to adore that about the pint-sized diva. During her extended stay at Puck's house, Rachel had provided a much needed escape from the coddling and crooning over her pregnancy. She treated her like a person, not just a growing bump, and often called her out on her bullshit. It was a relief.
It depressed Quinn that she was going to lose that comfort. Rachel had gotten accepted into the Tisch School of Arts at NYU and would be matriculating there as soon as the summer ended. Quinn was staying in Lima to raise Lily for a few more years before deciding what she would do. Possibly attend a local Community College. Who knows?
She had a feeling that things weren't finished with Rachel, like they had much more growing to do, together, and absolutely no time to do it. How was she supposed to approach the other girl about that? Ask her to stay in Lima with her? Raise her child with her? She wasn't even sure what this feeling was, be it romantic or platonic. That's what time was for, to work these things out for her. The fact that they'd gotten to this point through all the adversity had to mean something. But what did it mean?
Quinn's internal monologue was interrupted by the sound of the short songstress approaching her car. She had been talking with a few of the Glee members about the party that Puck had planned, a way of saying a proper good-bye to those who had become like family to her. Now that she was without her own.
"Quinn, I'm not sure if you're aware of this fact, but you are allowed to leave the property now. We're done. We are officially McKinley High Alumni," Rachel stated sarcastically, swatting at her legs before leaning against the hood herself.
"Thanks, tips. I was just waiting for you to finish your socializing so I could offer you a ride to the party. If I'd known that you'd take half a century, I wouldn't have bothered," Quinn retorted, blocking the sun with her graduation cap as she glanced at the dark-haired girl to her side. "So what do you say? You chariot awaits, m'lady."
Rachel laughed enthusiastically as Quinn jumped off the hood and opened the passenger side door for her. After shutting Rachel's door, Quinn jogged over to the other side, opening her door and clambering into the driver's seat. "You need to stop anywhere, or are we headed straight to my place, which is to say Puck's 'End of an Era' Partypalooza?"
Rachel chuckled again, shaking her head. "I am ever-so-glad you named your daughter, and not Noah. I cringe at the thought of that beautiful angel being named by someone who thinks "Puckasaurus" is a suitable nickname."
Quinn smiled at the shorter girl, thinking back to the day Lily had arrived in their lives. "His ideas weren't too bad. Nowhere near what Finn had offered."
"Which reminds me," Rachel interrupted. "Can you please explain to Brittany that you in fact named your child Lily and not Drizzle. That child will grow up with a complex to rival that of P-Diddy, or Prince."
"Oh, it's harmless. Besides, I'm not about to cross paths with Santana. You want to deal with her, be my guest." Quinn playfully swatted at Rachel's leg, receiving a 100-watt smile in return.
The remainder of the evening was rather uneventful. Quinn and Lily played around with Rachel and the rest of the Glee club until the infant became lethargic and began nodding off. Once the youngest member of the extended family was asleep, the real party began, with booze and badly-sung Broadway tunes. Quinn participated, minus the influence of alcohol, determined to store the memory of this night away for future recollection. She really did not want the night to end. Rachel would soon be going off to New York City with her fathers' to see the dorm she would be staying in during her tenure at Tisch; Finn was heading off to OSU for a football camp, along with Mike and Matt; Tina, Mercedes and Kurt all got into ULCA and were planning on taking a road-trip across the country to scout out living places, and of course, scout out the local celebrities; Artie was off to some sort of film-makers camp, she wasn't too sure what it was about; and Santana and Brittany were moving to Boston so that they could be together while Santana was at Harvard. The entire Glee club was shocked when they heard that the fiery Latina had gotten into Harvard, but they immediately changed their impressions when she threatened to end any hope of any of them ever reproducing. Again.
Once the night did wind-down, however, Quinn found that she really only wanted Rachel to stay. The future Broadway star had been nursing a cooler quietly for the last hour or so, and Quinn was determined to find out what was on her mind.
"Hey, I think I heard Lily's baby monitor squawking, and I may need reinforcements. Care to join me?" she questioned to Rachel, as she offered a hand to the younger girl.
Rachel smiled up at the blonde, gently placing her bottle on the patio and accepting the proffered hand, hoisting herself up from her previously seated position. "Of course, Quinn. Although, in speaking of reinforcements, one would typically hold off on the big guns until they need that last possible resort."
"Oh, I was unaware that anything in reference to you would be big. My mistake," Quinn retorted playfully, earning herself a poke in the side from the brunette.
As they walked along the hallway leading to the nursery, Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand and tugged her into the bathroom. The confused look on Rachel's face spoke volumes, clearly wondering the cause of the sudden diversion. Quinn was quick to placate her confusion.
"Rachel, there was no noise. Lily is sleeping fine, I'm sure. I brought you in here because I wanted to talk to you. Tell you something, rather." Quinn paused, unsure of whether to go on. Finally, when the facial expression on Rachel's face had turned from one of confusion to one of concern, Quinn had found the confidence to continue.
"I've been thinking a lot today, about the past. And the future. About how things used to be, and how they've changed, and how everything is about to change again. With everyone leaving," Quinn started, grabbing a hold of the petite girls hand, "with you leaving, I'm afraid that everything that we worked for, and through, will be all for nothing. You've been the closest thing to a family and a friend than anyone in my life. I really don't want to lose that. I'm scared to lose that."
Throughout this declaration, Rachel had blinked several times, but said nothing. Not even a breath could be heard. Quinn wasn't certain the singer was breathing.
"Quinn, I'm not sure of what it is that you're saying." Okay, she was breathing, Quinn thought to herself. "I mean, surely it won't be as bad as you're making it out to be. There are holidays, and reading weeks. I'll be back to visit, if that's what you're worried about," she finished, raising an eyebrow at the taller blonde.
Quinn started feeling frustration at herself, not being able to articulate to the brunette exactly what it was that she was feeling. "It's not that, exactly. Everything has been so good, and you've had a lot to do with that. Had you not been there for me when no one else was, I'm not even sure where I'd be at this moment in time. What I'm saying is, I don't want that to end. You going to New York ends that."
"I can't not go Quinn! This is Tisch we're talking about! I've dreamt about this since I was a fetus! And you want me to throw all of my 18 years of hard work away because you don't want this," she gestured between the two of them, "to end? Quinn, there's something you're not telling me here. This is absolute insanity!"
"I know!" Quinn practically yelled. "Don't you think I've thought through this? I'm not sure what this feeling is, Rachel, but I know it's something."
"Feeling?" Rachel questioned slowly. "Quinn, are you... feeling... something? For me? About us?"
"I don't know, honestly. I've never thought about it before, what it could be. It's just a feeling, okay?" Quinn spat out, irritated.
"I can't... deal with this. I-I have to go," Rachel finished, pulling open the bathroom door and sprinting from Quinn's sight.
***End Flashback***
Walking through her apartment, pausing only to turn on the stereo, Quinn had intended on keeping this a quiet night. Lily would be at the Puckerman's until after dinner and she'd hoped the sugar high would wear off by then. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, shuffling back into her bedroom to grab her most comfortable pair of pyjamas. While waiting for the water to warm up, she glanced into mirror above the sink.
"Not too bad, Q," she exclaimed aloud, turning her face from side to side, getting a full view. "Could have never guessed you'd had a kid," she continued, running her hands over her stomach and glancing at her hips. "Thank God, Buddha and whoever else had a hand in not giving me stretch marks."
The day's events ran through her head as she stepped into the shower. Her very own bar. Her ex-boyfriend, and the father of her child, managing with her. Things could get interesting, she thought to herself, but I have a good feeling about this. Puck may be right about this place, or at least I hope he is. She let the water cascade down her back as she envisioned just what she would do with her very own bar.
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