Chapter 1

Rachel stood impatiently at the airport with her four year-old's hand clutched in her own. She looked down at him. "Are you excited, Robbie?" She asked the toddler with a bright smile.

The boy shook his head 'yes' and Rachel smoothed his cowlick down, to no avail. "I can't wait to see Mommy!" He exclaimed with his very high pitched voice. This was Robert's first deployment he had to deal with. It was hard having your mommy gone.

Rachel chuckled and turned her attention to her other son, Mitchell, who was standing quietly next to her, headphones in. She sighed. Mitchell was never too fond of Quinn's long absences. Quite frankly she wasn't either, but Mitch took it hard. He was his Mommy's boy.

She pulled one of the headphones out of his ear and he glared at his mother. "Mom! What the heck?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Mitchell Berry-Fabray your mother is on the other side of that gate. Your mother who was just in another country fighting a war for a year. Show a little bit of excitement would you?"

He looked suitably chastised and grumbled under his breath like any sixteen year-old would. But Rachel knew he was very happy his mommy was coming back home, safe. She observed her boy.

He was at least six foot four and had curly brown hair which, Rachel took note, needed to be cut. He was skinny but she knew he was well built because all he does is football. She rolled her eyes. She had tried to make him more interested in other things, such as Broadway or dancing for example, but he just wanted to throw a ball around a field and get trampled on by other teens his age.

"Mama?" Rachel was pulled out of her thoughts by Robert tugging on her hand. She looked down into his brown eyes, like his brother's. "Yes baby?"

"I have to potty." He made a pained expression and held his crotch.

Rachel snorted and eyed the gate entrance, seeing for any sign of her wife. Making sure she wasn't coming yet, she looked back down at her son. "Ask your brother if he will take you."

He nodded fiercely and let go of her hand. She watched him go up to his brother. "Bubba with you take me to go pee?" He asked politely.

Mitchell frowned. "No. Why can't you go yourself?"

Rachel facepalmed. "Mitch he's four. Take him to the bathroom!"

Robert looked up at his brother with pleading eyes and Mitch softened. He took him by the hand and led him to the restrooms. Rachel smiled, not believing how blessed she was to have two beautiful boys in her life. And a wonderful, gorgeous wife.

Flashback

Rachel walked into a small grocery store in South Carolina, where she was visiting her grandparents for the summer. She was twenty and in college at the time. She walked down the aisles and looked down the list of things she was suppose to be getting for her grandmother.

Prunes? She grimaced. Gross.

Not realizing where she was going, Rachel ran right into someone and watched as their basket of items fell out onto the floor. She flushed and bent down to help pick them up.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I was distracted by this list of items to get for my Grandmother. I mean she wants prunes of all things which is a little disgusting by my standards." Rachel rambled on and went to grab the saltines next to her but the person she ran into got to them first.

Rachel finally looked up and saw a stunning woman kneeling in front of her with an amused expression. And she was wearing a uniform. An army uniform. She blushed some more and stood up.

"Your uh- groceries." Rachel didn't have much experience with soldiers and handed the items back to the flawless woman. She shouldn't have been surprised though, this was a military town.

The woman stood up as well and dumped her groceries back into her basket. Rachel stared at her shamelessly. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun, not a strand out of place. Her uniform had the name Fabray sewn on it and her pants were tucked neatly into her combat boots.

"Miss?" Rachel was pulled out of her thoughts. Oh! The beautiful girl was speaking to her! Pull it together, Berry.

"Yes?" Rachel said quietly. The soldier stuck out her hand. "I'm Quinn Fabray."


"Rachel!" She heard a melodious voice call out. Rachel snapped out of her memory and turned her head to the side only to see her uniform clad wife walking briskly toward her, a huge smile on her face.

Rachel immediately felt tears in her eyes and walked just as fast towards her soldier and crashed into her, squeezing with all her might. Quinn had dropped her backpack in order to hold Rachel.

"Hey baby," Quinn whispered into her wife's ear. "I've missed you." Skype days we're certainly not enough to keep the blonde satisfied. But she supposed it was better than nothing.

Rachel hugged Quinn tighter, if that were possible. She breathed in deeply and relished in Quinn's own scent mixed with the Army's. Quinn chuckled. "We've done this several times, Rach. I'd figured you'd be less dramatic," she joked.

Rachel pulled back slightly and frowned at her wife. "Quinn you were just deployed overseas risking your life for twelve whole months! I don't care if we've done this fifty times. You're the love of my life and I missed you so much." Brown eyes met hazel ones.

Quinn softened and pushed forward to meet Rachel's lips with her own for the first time in so long. The soldier had not been granted leave this year. She was far too important to the men and women in Afghanistan for that.

The brunette sighed into the kiss and moved her lips with Quinn's at a relaxed tempo. Things were about to get a little rated R for this Virginian airport when they were interrupted by-

"Look Bubba! It's Mommy!" Rachel heard her son cry out. She felt Quinn smile against her lips and let go of her. Rachel turned around and watched her youngest boy run to his mommy. Mitch was trailing behind him but had a little speed to his step, obviously happy to see his mom. Rachel was torn between hogging Quinn all to herself, or letting her kid's enjoy their mommy. Of course she went with the latter. Rachel will get Quinn all to herself when it's time for bed. And she has to let her kids spend time with their mom.

"Robbie!" Quinn squealed and scooped him up into her arms. She kissed his cheek a dozen times and he giggled uncontrollably.

"You've gotten so big, Robert. Has Mama been feeding you too much?" Quinn grinned down at her son and he laughed.

"No! Sometimes she won't feed me enough!" He complained. "Like when I want ice cream or cookies. She just wants to give me green beans. Those are gross." He frowned and made a 'yuck' face. "I missed you mommy!" He wrapped his little arms around her neck and she smiled from cheek to cheek.

Quinn heard Rachel laugh behind her and hugged her son closer to her. She then brought her gaze up a little, or a lot, and saw Mitchell standing shyly in front of her, a smile on his face. This almost brought tears to Quinn's eyes. Almost. She was just so happy to see her boys.

"Mitchie," she said softly and motioned for him to come to her. He rolled his eyes, presumably at the nickname, but still wore a smile. He wrapped his arms around his mommy and his brother.

God her son was a giant.

She didn't squeal or tease him because she knew her son wasn't big with emotions. Much like herself. Even if Quinn didn't give birth to him he very much got that from her. She sniffed and furrowed her brow.

"Mitchell are you wearing cologne?"

He pulled back and scratched his head. "Uh- yeah. My girlfriend got it for me for my birthday."

Quinn smirked at her son and he flushed. Deciding not to push it, she put Robert on the ground and grabbed his hand.

"Come on boys, let's go get my stuff and then I'll take you guys and Mama out for ice cream. Sound good?" Robbie clapped and Mitch smiled. She motioned for them to follow her and Mitch slung Quinn's backpack over his shoulder.

Rachel trailed behind her family, watching them with a smile on her face. Mitch was no longer in a mood and Robert was obviously happy to have his mommy home. But her wife looks...

Rachel bit her lip.

Worn out.

She was all smiles right now but her eyes were hollow and her skin was sort of pale. To anyone who didn't know Quinn, they'd say she was fine. But Rachel knew better. Rachel also knew that it was tough being overseas, but Quinn never seemed to have a problem before.

Did something happen?

Rachel was quickly pulled out of her thoughts when Quinn called out to her.

"You coming, baby?"

Rachel smiled genuinely. "Right behind you."


:) Thoughts? Would you like me to continue? I know this chapter isn't lengthy but If y'all want me to continue I'll make sure they are longer.

Bye!