For Mary
Quinn Fabray: Ex-head cheerleader, Ex-Girlfriend of Finn Hudson, Ex-Head Bitch in Charge at William McKinley High School.
Not anymore!
I was sitting at my house alone on a Friday night, just as I did every Friday night since I found out I was pregnant and I was decidedly the scum of the earth, and I reflected on the last year. I went from top of the food chain to bottom of the barrel. And I sat back and thought, Well, that's too bad. It was fun being the most popular girl at school and getting everything I wanted.
And then I said to myself, What the crap has happened to me? The old Quinn Fabray wouldn't stand for this! Sitting back and sighing and saying "that's too bad?" You know who does that? Tina freakin' Cohen-Chang. Not Quinn Fabray! Quinn Fabray stands up and marches over and pries what she wants out of people's cold, dead hands!
And that was exactly what I planned on doing.
"Miss Sylvester?"
"Well, if it isn't Fatty McSasquatch. I see your tumor of life has been torn out of your uterus-hole. I still got nothing to say to you."
"Miss Sylvester, I want to rejoin Cheerios. I've weighed. I'm back to my original weight of 110, I still know how to do all the moves, and I'm ready."
"Here's the deal, Juno." She stood and walked over to her bookshelf, where instead of books she kept protein shake mix. "I'd love to have your precision and ruthless hardened attitude back on my team. Problem is, that doesn't exist anymore. Your little Sixteen and Pregnant story, while a fantastically compelling tale of infidelity and coming of age, also has done something very important. You know what that is?"
"What?"
"It's made you soft. You smile at other people's HAPPINESS. You're kind to others! You skip hand-in-hand with your little Glee friends and sing songs about overcoming adversity and giving birth to puppies, or whatever it is you cretins do. You're not the same Quinn Fabray anymore, and I'm not interested in starting up a cuddle club, so you need to get out of my office."
Quinn walked up to Sue, grabbed her by the arm, and turned her so that they faced each other. She stood on tiptoes to get right in her face. "Listen here, scarecrow. I've had enough of your bullshit! I am BETTER than I was before, because unlike YOU, I have pushed a baby out of my 'uterus hole' WITHOUT drugs, meaning I can withstand pain that would probably make you cry so hard your wrinkles would flatten. I have practiced. I have lost the weight. I have done ten times what anybody else on the squad has done. And DON'T talk about the Glee club, or I will personally tell major media outlets about how you put little vibrating mechanisms into the tops of your trophies for personal pleasure-related reasons."
Sue was stunned. "P-p-pick up your uniform in the locker room…" she said in a daze. "…welcome back, Captain."
Step one, check.
Quinn strutted down the hallway with her Cheerios uniform on. Heads were turning, everyone was whispering. She felt the power coming back. Brittany walked up to her.
"Quinn, you look like a cheerio!"
"I'm the captain again, Brit. Tell Santana."
"Okay, but I'm not going to eat you."
"…what?"
"The captain on the cereal box wants me to eat him and I tell him NO. You're a captain and a cheerio. I know what you want. I say NO!"
"Oh. Good. Go tell Santana." Brittany scurried off down the hallway. Next was one Finn Hudson. He was standing at his locker with Rachel.
"Excuse me, Rachel, could I talk to Finn in private for a minute?"
Rachel smiled, still a friend. "Sure! Bye Finn!" She skipped off merrily. Quinn wondered how bad she was gonna get it from her when she got Finn back.
"You're wearing your Cheerios uniform again." He stated flatly, although not unkindly.
"I'm captain again."
"Congratulations. I know how much that must mean to you."
"Look, Finn. I don't know what's going on with you and Rachel—"
"We're just friends," he interrupted. "not that it's any of your business."
"Okay." She grabbed his hand and he flinched. "I know what I did to you was unforgivable. But…we were happy, Finn. And I regret cheating on you, but I was drunk. Puck got me drunk. And I don't regret getting pregnant…it's taught me to grow up and treat people better. And if we got back together, I would treat you so much better, Finn. You are such a good guy. I was so stupid to ever think anyone was better."
"I…" Finn stammered. "I need time to think. I don't know if I can do this."
"I understand." She gave his hand a squeeze and walked away. Santana came up to her.
"I heard you weaseled me out of the head cheerleader position, Mama Bear. What gives?"
"Look, it was mine first, Santana."
"Ugh. You sicken me. Stealing my spot, and I saw you chatting up one Finn Hudson, who you cheated on. The poor boy can't handle all your crazy. He could barely handle me."
"Yeah, I heard you had sex with him."
"Jealous?" Santana smirked. "I know what you're trying to do, Quinn. You're trying to go back like nothing happened. But you're going to have to do a LOT more if you want me to be your friend again. I'm not down with this fake bullshit like you're the same when you're not."
"I let Puck off of his leash. He's all yours."
"Love you! Kisses!" Santana kissed Quinn's cheek and ran off, presumably to remove Puck's pants.
Step two, check. One left, and that was Finn Hudson. Which was going to prove difficult.
The next day, Quinn, Brittany, and Santana strutted about being pursued by guys and being bitched about by dorks. It was just like the old times. Quinn felt like she was on top again. There was just one piece of business left to cinch, and that was getting Finn back.
She still loved him. Every time she saw him, her heart sped up to about a million and she felt warm and tingly all over. She had to get Finn back…obviously he and Rachel didn't work out, so with the competition out of the way combined with her change of heart, they would be complete perfection. All she had to do was convince him.
She sat next to him in Glee. He smiled at her briefly, but didn't speak to her.
"Mr. Schue!" Quinn stood as soon as he closed the door to start.
"Yes, Miss Captain? I heard the good news, Congrats." He hugged her.
"I have a song to sing." Finn raised an eyebrow.
"Sure, take it away, Quinn."
"They say it takes time to get over serious relationships
But I've been waiting patiently
I'm still stuck on you
I still picture your face smiling at me
I've made a big mistake
And now I've got to face the consequences of my actions
But until your back here in my arms
I'll never have the satisfaction…"
She weaved her way around to behind Finn's chair and put her arms around him.
"I know you know that I'm sorry
I never meant to hurt you
Is there anything that I can do?
To make it up to you
I'd do anything baby
Cause I'm sorry
I never meant to make you cry
I don't want to say goodbye
I'm sorry
I'm sorry that I lied…"
She got on her knees in front of him and took his hands in hers.
"I'm missing you more and more
I still remember the first time I set eyes on you
I knew this was heaven sent
that I was destined
To be with you
And now I've messed it up
I pray to god above
that you will forgive me
Just take me in your arms
And hold me all night long
And tell me you'll never leave me...I believe that everything happens for a reason
I know everybody makes mistakes
And everybody regrets sometimes
Don't let this ruin everything that we had
I don't want you to forget how much I love you baby
how much I miss you baby
You get me missing you baby
You mean everything to me…"
She began to cry."I know you know that I'm sorry
And I never meant to hurt you
Is there anything that I can do?
To make it up to you
I'd do anything baby
Cause I'm sorry
and I never meant to make you cry
I don't want to say goodbye
I'm sorry
I'm sorry that I lied..."
The band's music faded, leaving the choir room quiet aside from awkward clapping and Quinn's sniffles. Finn took Quinn into his arms and hugged her.
"I know you're sorry…I don't know how long it's gonna take for me to be okay with this, Quinn…but I miss you too…and I want us to be together."
Just like that, Quinn Fabray was back on top. Hand in hand, she and Finn faced the world, knowing that they had a rocky past behind them, and probably a rocky future, but together, they could bust through the walls that confined them every time.
Because in the ends, as always, Quinn Fabray gets what she wants. And what she wanted was a Happily Ever After.