Finally got around to writing something, but it's going to be completely different from what I said it was because honestly, i'm just not good enough to write that way. Too bad.

This and every chapter is dedicated to Briana, who, no matter what, i will always be grateful to.

OK let's do this.

2019

Quinn shifted restlessly in the unfamiliar bed she was trying to sleep in.

"Fuck!" she grunted to herself, deciding to give up on comfort and focus on not being in actual pain. Her spine had been through the ringer, and it wasn't about to magically get better any time soon.

Lying back, she allowed her mind to drift lazily in lieu of sleeping. She considered her life, and the choices that had led her there. There were a lot of them. Things could be a lot different.

When a small thud roused her semi-conscious mind back to awareness, she sat up, mildly afraid, only to smile when she saw the shorter, caramel-haired girl grinning at her out of the darkness near the door.

"Hi baby," the blond said as she reached towards the brunette and pulled her against her side.

"Hi" was the meek reply she got as she felt the girl settle in to her neck.

"What are you doing in here sweetheart?" Quinn half-whispered, gently petting her ultra-silky, honey-brown hair.

"I couldn't sleep."

Quinn snuffled a little laugh against the brunette's head as they settled back down into restfulness.

"Baby, we talked about this. We can't do this any more. It's not right."

"But – but why!? I don't want to be apart any more, I want to be with you!"

Quinn pressed her lips together as she tried not to let the tears fall. "I know baby, but we have to stop, you know it."

"Just one more night, please? I'll just lay here quietly, you won't even notice me."

Quinn sighed a watery sigh at the hopeful, inky-blue eyes that followed her, and finally consented with a sharp nod.

"Fine, but just one more night."

Quinn adjusted her position. Her muscles seemed to go loose as she felt the warm, sweet breath on her neck, the girl's small nose nuzzling her jawline. It almost felt like she was back next to Rachel. For the first time in a long time, she relaxed, her mind traveling back years before all of this started...

1 month and 23 days ago

Quinn smiled gently as she was roused by downy-soft lips caressing her neck; she inhaled deeply and marveled at the luxurious difference between Rachel's sleep-warm body and the cool temperature of the air-conditioned room and sheets that were draped around her. This is bliss. Burying her face into Rachel's neck, she inhaled deeply, and felt an internal squirm at the way her wife's hands were gliding up and down her body. She giggled and felt Rachel's busy tongue retreat from her collar bone to behind her teeth, exposed by a joyful grin.

"Well good morning," the young blond rasped. She slid her hands under her love's t-shirt and drank in the brunette's warmth through her roaming hands.

"Hello there," Rachel's voice poured out like warm chocolate. Their lips met for a moment, then for longer until they were wrapped up in each other.

They withdrew, sharing a gaze until the corners of Quinn's eyes crinkled with mirth at the feeling of their child lying in between them, tapping out a good morning with its strong legs. The blond rolled Rachel over in order to see her stomach.

"Well good morning to you too, little goldfish" the young woman said around her kisses to her wife's swollen and exposed naval. Rachel sleepily rolled her eyes, scratching her nose whilst she chuckled at the young woman's nickname for their unborn child.

"Leave her," the brunette instructed, grasping Quinn's hyper-dextrous hands from where they were at that time fluttering out a sonata to their child to pull her up and next to where she lay. Quinn wrapped her arms around the woman she loved and snuggled back into her neck, contently sighing. The peace lasted only a moment though.

Quinn felt something shudder through Rachel's body, not strong but still noticeable. She looked up to Rachel's face and saw a frightening combination of fear and pain.

"Sweetheart?" She noted the stillness of the room, and it made her stomach clench in fear at what was to come next.

Rachel regarded her with shock in her eyes.

"Qu... aaaaaahhhhhh!"

Present

The blond woke with a panicked gasp, realizing that she had been dreaming of the moment Rachel went into labour, so many weeks before. She shook herself a little before remembering where she was and what was going on. She could faintly hear the baby screaming from her crib, hungry or in need of a change, and rolled herself off the bed to rush into the hallway. She paused for a moment, distracted by the door in front of her eyes, Rachel's door, before snapping out of it and continuing down the hall to what had been the piano room, but was now the nursery.

It was far enough away from their rooms so that when one was on duty, the other wouldn't be disturbed from sleep. As long as they made sure to swap the baby monitor from room to room. Tonight though, they hadn't. As Quinn rushed into the living room, she was met with angry, dark eyes coming towards her.

"Rachel." Quinn was nervous; she had been unhappy recently, this wasn't going to help.

"I thought tonight was your night, Quinn!" the brunette spat more than spoke.

The blond shook her head, trying to focus on the woman's words, and not the angry look on her face or the tiredness in her body or the wailing infant in her arms.

Rachel stormed past her with a huff, trying to maneuver her shirt above her breast without dislodging her child and still maintaining her perfect storm-out. They were no longer 'diva' storm outs; they had morphed from 'tense' to 'terrifying' after Rachel became a mother.

Quinn screwed up her eyes and rubbed her face with one hand, turning to follow.

"I have a busy day tomorrow Quinn, I told you that. I just needed you to look after her for one night, be an adult for one night!"

The blond bit her lip, then adjusted her resolve. She was going to have a busy day too, first day of college and all, but she bit her tongue. " I know, i'm sorry that she woke you." Rachel scoffed as she reached the door on the right of the hallway. "But I couldn't hear her, you have the -"

The young blond winced as the oak door slammed in her face. "Monitor"

She turned and went back to her own room, sighing.

So, that's the prologue I guess, although i'll probably be keeping the chapters that short all the way through, otherwise I won't write at all. 6000 words takes way too much attention and I do NOT have it in me any more. Anyway, there ya go. Til next time.