Title: The Girls Next Door
Summary: The Fabray twin sister's relationship had never been threatened over the 17 years of their existence, not until she showed up. Quinn/Rachel/Charlie. Fafaberry.
Disclaimer: The usual bla bla bla, the characters don't belong to me.
Note: I came across the idea for this story by being a dedicated follower of textsfromcharlie on tumblr. It's great, go and check it out.
Everyone knew that despite the fact that the Fabray twins were physically identic, they had few in common. When their mother forced both of them to dress with equal outfits for special occasions such as weddings, they were indistinguishable, but only until one of them opened their mouth. If what came out was a complaint about how skinny ties should never have returned to the land of the living, then that would be Quinn. If what came out was more like an impressed comment about the architecture of the place, then that would most definitely be Charlotte, also known as Charlie.
Their differences started being evident early on: Quinn was always the one with the bad temper, moping around constantly and being, well, a little brat, while Charlie was the quiet, shy, almost anti-social one. They had grown up and those differences grew with them; Quinn learned how to turn her bad temper into indifference and Charlie wasn't as reserved as she used to be, but she still pretty much lived in her own world.
It was also evident for anyone that knew both of them, or had spent any time around them, that Quinn loved her socially awkward, sweet twin and Charlie admired her driven, fearless, ice queen sister.
They were each other's best friends, without any question, even though they didn't really share the same circle of friends at school. Quinn had always shown interest and ability for physical activities, so she had made herself a cheerleader and hanged out with the most popular group of people at McKinley while Charlie, with her kind of geeky interests had a very eclectic group of friends who, needless to say, shared her low social status in school. Despite of that, there was no one who would dare to make fun of Charlie – although her friends were usual victims of slushies – because Quinn would take matters into her own hands and commit social homicide if so.
All and all, despite their differences, Quinn and Charlie loved each other and nothing had ever even come close to threatening their relationship, that is, until she appeared.
It was a sunny day of Spring, one of those that make you sweat just by thinking how Summer is going to be like; the type of day where you want to do nothing but lie by the pool and anticipate the cool night. That was what Charlie Fabray was doing, thinking of the much expected Harry Potter marathon she had planned with Mike after dinner.
"Charlotte Fabray, I swear, if you don't get out of your lazy ass you are going to become fat. Just think of what the family would say! A Fabray, fat?" Quinn was obviously joking, but Charlotte rolled her eyes imagining if she was indeed heavy and, because of that, even more the black sheep of the family than she already was. "You'd be the disgrace of the family! Mom and Dad would disown you. With good reason. Think about me, what would people say when they got to know that I have a fat twin? My popularity would come crashing down, everything I ever worked for-"
"I don't want to move, and stop talking as if being fat is the worst possible thing that could happen to someone. There are far worst things-"
"Whatever, Char, just come with me. I don't want to go by myself" Quinn shifted her weight from one leg to the other, impatiently, hands on her hips. She was already equipped with her working out outfit: thigh black leggings, a grey sports' bra and Nike sneakers. "Please?"
It was a rare occasion to hear Quinn Fabray asking for something using the word please. She usually just demanded things and everyone was too afraid not to bend to her will. But not Charlotte and, 17 (almost 18) years of cohabitation, had taught Quinn that, if she wanted something from her sister, that was usually the only way to get it.
"Quinn, it's so hot, I don't want to go running" Charlie wined miserably, as if her sister was practically forcing her a new, but effective, type of torture.
"Just around the block, twice. We're barely going to sweat anything" Quinn assured her, using her best manipulating things. There were some things that Quinn was good at, like a split on air, or how to get every guy on the bleaches on a football game not pay any attention to the game at all, but they really weren't that useful in her day-to-day life. But persuasion, it was her main weapon and the one she was most proud of.
"Quinn, I'm here lying down like a vegetable and I'm sweating".
"Come on" Quinn repeated, once again, impatiently, changing strategies. "I saw you devouring that box of ice cream last night, don't even try to deny it. Do you know how many calories that was?"
Charlie opened her eyes. Although she would never admit it, especially to her sister, she was trying to eat carefully. She knew that her physical activity ratio was close to inexistent and that, although she was now blessed with good genetics and metabolism, in the future, if she kept eating and sitting on her ass all day, she was not going to maintain her figure. The box of ice cream last night had been a slip up.
"Okay" Charlie sighed, as she pulled herself to her feet lazily. "But only twice around the block, then I'm going back to my vegetable state".
"As long as you still have that" Quinn joked, triumphantly. Charlie stopped in front of her and, for a moment, both of them glared each other expectantly.
"So?" Charlie asked.
"Aren't you going to put on training clothes?" Quinn asked, frowning slightly at what Charlie was wearing. Charlotte was a big fan of comfortable clothing around the house. She was wearing shorts and a tank top.
"What, this won't do?" her twin asked gesturing her clothes.
Quinn decided not to be picky. "Well, I guess- okay, let's just go".
Together, running down the street, they made an odd pairing: Quinn dressed sportively and Charlie dressed casually. But everyone in the neighborhood was already accustomed to their oddness as a pair of twins…
Well, everyone that had met them.
They slowed down the pace as they turned around the corner and saw a moving truck parked in front of the lawn of the ex-Gunter's house.
"New neighbors" Quinn stated, as they both curiously walked across the road to get a sight of the new family. The neighborhood was known for being kind of a big family; they had barbeques in the summers, went on vacations together, had tea in each other's house all the time. Whoever that family was, it was going to be inserted in their social life, so they better just meet them now and see what they were stuck with.
The moving crew was getting the heavier stuff from the truck to the house, but there was also a black SUV and a more modest old Toyota Civic filled with the family belongings so the twins figured that was where they would find them.
They were just approaching the set of cars, when a short man with glasses got out of the car, slightly flushed either from the heat or the physical effort, holding two boxes, one pilled over the other.
"Hi" Charlie greeted. The man's face was hidden behind the boxes, and he had to maneuver himself in order to see who was approaching him.
It was rather amusing when the tiny man finally glared them, his dark eyes dancing between the two girls, trying to understand if he was indeed seeing right or having a delirious attack from the heat.
"My name is Quinn Fabray, this is my sister Charlie. We live around the corner".
"Oh, so you're going to be our new neighbors!" the man cried enthusiastically, with a tone that lacked muscularity, and got both girls to exchange glares, now composed from the initial shock of seeing two living clones. "Leroy, Rachel, come here, darlings" the man called over his shoulder, as he put down the boxes and offered his hand to both Charlie and Quinn. His handshake, though, was surprisingly strong. "I'm Hiram Berry, we're just moving in." He said, as a tall, dark man joined him, his hand falling on his shoulder in an affectionate, yet suggestive way. "This is my husband Leroy and…well, our daughter Rachel is supposed to be here somewhere, I think we've might have misplaced her again…"
"I'm here daddy" the feminine voice came from the front door, and everyone's heads snapped in that direction in time to watch a short brunette girl frolicking from inside the house enthusiastically. "I just saw my new room. Oh my God, it's huge, and I have a private bathroom. Can you believe it?"
"Look, sweetie, we're meeting our first neighbors" Snapping her head to Charlie and Quinn, only at that moment Rachel seemed to notice their presence. "This is Charlie and Quinn Fabray, they live on the neighborhood as well".
"Actually, I'm Charlie and she's Quinn" Charlotte corrected kindly, the first one of the sisters to recover from the initial shock of meeting such a, hum, modern family.
"Oh, I'm sorry, dear. Anyway, this is our prodigy daughter, Rachel".
"Daddy" Rachel blushed, as she nudge her father's arm embarrassedly.
"How old are you, Rachel?" Charlie asked, anxious to get a conversation going. She could feel the tension coming from her sister by her side. Granted, they lived in a small town in Ohio, it wasn't every day that they met a family like the Berry's, but Quinn seemed to find it a much bigger deal than Charlotte. Charlie didn't want the Berry's to feel unwelcomed immediately.
She had to admit, though, it was a bold step of them to make. They had moved into a conservative, little town where there weren't that many opened minded people. The Berry's were in for a challenge, that was for sure.
"I'm seventeen, going on eighteen, actually" Rachel replied with an huge, almost too big to be honest, smile, and both girls had the impression that she was going to start singing the The Sound of Music song.
"Oh, then you are of our age. You're going to go to McKinley, right?"
"Is there-" Rachel seemed hesitant. "any other High School?".
Charlie laughed. True. "No, actually, that's the one. We both go there, so, maybe, we can show you around?"
"That would be really nice of you" Rachel's eyes drifted to Quinn, who had yet to say a word.
"Well, we should continue carrying our things inside, girls" Leroy stated. "It was nice to meet you two." Him and Hiram retrieved from the little circle that they, unintentionally, had created, and left the girls standing there, without really knowing what to do.
"I should go, too, I still have to get my stereo system to my room which is on the last floor…" Rachel cringed, just thinking about the physical effort.
Quinn and Charlie knew exactly where Rachel room's was, because that house, previously, had belonged to Madeline Gunter and they had spent many afternoon's there. Charlie saw an opportunity and took it, immediately. "Well, I can help you with that. It must be heavy. Plus, I can install it for you so that you have music while you are unpacking".
"Are you sure? You don't have anything else you should do?" Rachel asked hesitantly, glaring Quinn's obvious training outfit. The girl refused to return her glare, but her twin was expressive enough for the two of them.
Charlie smirked maliciously, while also glaring her sister from the corner of her eye. "No, at all. Hey, it's physical exercise, right?".
"I can't believe you own every Broadway musical soundtrack that ever existed" Charlie commented impressively, as she rummaged through Rachel's things. She had called it, definitely. Something about Rachel's energy just screamed… geek. Which is a good thing, because Charlie was also a proud geek.
They had gone up to Rachel's room, Quinn always following closely behind them, looking uncomfortable and like she really rather be somewhere else, and Charlie had taken upon her hands to install Rachel's stereo. She had always had a hand for technology, she was the go to girl around the house when something was not functioning. Char, my straightening iron isn't working or Charlie, the washing machine isn't working or Charlotte, my watch isn't working.
Quinn had helped her out unenthusiastically and the bubbly brunette appeared and reappeared with new boxes that were divided according to function.
Charlie maintained easy conversation with Rachel, it was obvious the two had much alike. Quinn felt like the third wheel just sitting there, answering "yes" or "no" every time either Rachel or Charlie asked her something.
Eventually, the twins had to leave for dinner – Rachel and her dads still had a lot of work ahead, but Hiram made a point to let them know that if they were already settled in, they would have invited them for dinner, obviously – and it was on their way to their house that Quinn spoke her first sentence in almost two hours.
"Dad is going to be pissed".
"What are you talking about?" Charlotte asked absentmindedly, as she kicked a rock from the sidewalk to the road.
"Rachel's dads. Dad's not going to like it".
Charlie knew this was true, and she wondered how long was it going to take for the neighborhood to call an emergency reunion because of the situation. It was all very ridiculous to her eyes, but she knew they were capable of it. She remembered when Kurt had come out. You'd think that he had come out as a fire starter from the panic that he created. "Well, there's really nothing he can do about it. They're queer, they're here, he better just get used to it".
Quinn snorted. "Right, you know who we're talking about, right? Russell Fabray? He's probably going to try to pray the gay out of them."
"Are you?" Charlie asked, bluntly.
"What?"
"Uncomfortable with Rachel's dads?"
Quinn frowned. "Are you asking me if I'm a homophobe?" Charlie didn't give her an answer, but it was pretty clear to Quinn what it was. "I'm not. But… you have to admit, it's pretty… weird. I mean, I'd only seen it in, like, TV. This is the real deal".
"Guess so" Charlie commented vaguely.
Quinn regarded her twin with a slightly disconcerted expression. "You don't find it, at least a little bit, weird?"
"No".
"Come on, it's not something you see every day" Quinn insisted, rolling her eyes.
"Rachel seems like a nice girl and I don't think that having two gay dads will make any difference-"
"I'm not saying that Rachel is not nice, or that I won't want to hang out with her because she has two gay dads, I'm just saying that I'm not used to it and it might be weird for me at first".
"Okay, then. And I'm saying I don't share those feelings. Hiram and Leroy seemed delightful and they were far more accommodating than some straight parents I've met."
"Yeah, they were nice" Quinn commented thoughtfully. "I just hope people don't give them a hard time, though".
Charlie nodded in agreement, even though both girls knew that there was really no way out of it. They just hoped for the best for the Berry family.
Flashforward
Remember when we met her? – C
Of course – Q
You were uncomfortable about the fact that the Berry's were gay – C
Yeah, ironic, right? – Q
To say the least. What would have done if you knew she was going to turn you gay? – C
I would have run for my life, probably – Q