Moore Info: Yes, I am still working on my other stories. Just trying to find my mojo again.
All mistakes are mine. I got lazy towards the end.
Chapter Two
A few hours later, when the sun began to set, Raymundo drove his wife and step-daughter to the Shore Shack.
He opened the diner eight years ago with Tito a year after moving from Hawaii and to the mainland when his first wife had died from cancer, leaving him a single father to both of their children. The Shack was the very first building to the left once you walked onto to the pier; a two story mission revival building comprising of an open front, allowing passersby to see exactly what was inside.
"Here it is!" Ray said with a proud smile as they stood in front of the eating establishment that was bustling with people. "My baby." he stated before quickly adding, "well, my baby after you of course, Judes."
"Aw, thanks honey!" Judy said with a sarcastic laugh. "It's nice to know that I'm loved more than your beloved shack." Ray gave a sheepish rub to the back of his neck, knowing that during their many talks over the phone, they've had quite a few conversations about his love for his restaurant.
"Yo, brudda." A short, plump Hawaiian man with a small ponytail and goatee came from out of the Shore Shack to stand in front of them. "Is this the new Mrs. Rocket?" the man said knowingly with his deep voice, a wide grin on his face.
"Um, Yeah she is."Ray became a tad bashful as he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist while placing his other hand on top of Quinn's head, in which the blonde, surprisingly, did not mind. "Tito, this is my beautiful wife, Judy, and her daughter, Quinn. Guys, this is my best friend and business partner, Tito Makani."
"Junior,"Tito added. "My fahdda was the original."
"Nice to meet you, Tito. Raymundo has told me so much about you and of how much of a good friend you are to him." Judy said as she put a hand out towards the man for him to shake. Her time as Mrs. Russell Fabray came into play as she wore a large, pleasant smile. However, unlike the last time she was introduced as someone's wife, instead of the fake smiles she would normally take on, the one she wore now was completely genuine.
Just from what Ray had told her of his best friend, she felt like she already knew the man. Which was why she wasn't all that surprised when he disregarded her outstretched hand in order to give her a big, bear hug that lifted her off the ground.
"You too, Judy! Not just anyone could turn old Raymundo here into a blushing keiki (baby; child)!" he said with a belly shaking laugh as he placed Judy back onto solid ground. "When he told me that he had married you, I wasn't surprised one bit! He talked about nothing but you all those months ago!" Judy smiled as Ray re-wrapped his arm around his wife in pride.
Tito then turned his attention to Quinn, who was staring up at him in apprehension, hoping that the man did not pick her up as he did her mother.
"Ah, and you must be Quinn?" he asked with a smile, his voice becoming softer as he took in the eight year old who shifted shyly before him. Quinn nodded in confirmation. "Ray's told me about you too. 'Told me that you were a smart kid, little cuz." he held out a fist for the blonde to bump. However, Quinn just looked at it for a few seconds before looking up to her mother. Judy gave her a smile of encouragement along with a light nudge before Quinn finally gave a swift bump to the man's fist.
"A shy one, 'Ae (yes)?" Tito chuckled. "Don't worry, keiki. Keep hanging with your uncle Tito. You'll be spreading your little social butterfly wings in no time. Especially now that you have Otto and Reg as your brother and sister."
"Speaking of; are they here?" Ray asked his best friend, who nodded.
"'Ae, brudda. They just finished surfing not too long ago. They're chowing down on a plate of Easy-Cheesy Nachos as we speak."
"Come on, Judy, Quinn. I want you guys to finally meet the kids."Raymundo said as he eagerly began to escort the two blonde females into his place of business.
As soon as they entered the Shore Shack, from left to right, the newlyweds were bombarded with congratulations coming from all the locals.
The first to personally come up to greet them was a violet haired woman with a North Dakotan accent (whose name was actually Violet). According to Ray, she lived right next door to the Rockets along with her grumpy husband Merv Stimpleton.
Next was Shirley, an African-American police office. It didn't take long for Quinn to pick up on the fact that her mother did not like the woman all too much. The police officer had the habit of flirting with her new husband so blatantly in front of her; with her grabby hands, coy eyes, and suggestive smiles as she called him 'Big Ray'. Having been a married man before, Ray quickly picked up on Judy's annoyance, and her reasons behind it, and promptly moved them on to the next well wisher like the smart man he was.
With each person they came across, they moved deeper into the shack and closer to a table that was occupied by a group of kids.
The first to spot the three, was a Hispanic looking boy who wore baggy clothes and a backwards, brown striped Kangol flat cap atop his vibrant red hair. It was the very same color as his Caucasian mother with whom they met with only moments before.
"Hey, Raymundo! Over here!" The freckled faced, red haired boy waved over to the blonde man, displaying a slight accent that was said in a raspy voice.
"Hey, guys!" Raymundo happily greeted the table full of kids, all of whom had their eyes on the two unfamiliar blondes who stood beside him.
Next to the ginger was a bronzed skinned boy with short hair that was so tangled, it was practically dread locked. However, it seemed to work for him. Without needing an introduction from Raymundo, Quinn knew him to be Otto Rocket. The boy felt no shame as he looked right at her with eyes that judged her from behind the green, tinted goggles that rested on his tanned face.
Quinn couldn't help but shift uncomfortably under his gaze, which felt like a spotlight.
She was also able to pick out Reggie Rocket, which wasn't hard to do with her being the only girl of the group. With purple hair that was dyed, she was the oldest at the table, but unlike her brother, she looked at Quinn with a small, welcoming smile and curious eyes.
Last to complete the table of kids was a blonde boy. He looked out of place sitting next to the other three with his pale skin. Plus, unlike the others he was on chubby side—like Quinn. He, like Reggie, gave Quinn a friendly smile as he cleaned his glasses lenses before placing them back on his face.
"Otto. Reggie." Ray addressed his half Polynesian children, who brought their attention from Quinn and to their father and new step-mother. "I want you to finally meet Judy and Quinn. They're going to be a part of our family now as your new step-mother and sister." He said with soft, loving eyes as he looked from back-and-forth between his children and the two blondes.
After a moment of silence, in which was spent with the two joined families inspecting the other, Reggie made the first move out of them all by getting out of her seat to hug her new step-mother. The same woman she has come to know through their phone conversations.
At first, when her father had told her and her brother that he was dating a woman who he really liked, she had been against it.
She had been jealous, thinking that her father would find a wife in this woman and forget all about his little girl. However, after doing a bit of eavesdropping one day while her father had been on the phone with Judy, she had taken in the way that her father had behaved; the way he looked and the way he sounded as he spoke with the woman.
In those moments, she began to realize that before that day, she had never seen her dad behave in such a way.
Yeah, she has witnessed her dad have a crush before, as the man seemed to have many of them multiple times a month. However, before Judy, he never dated any of them past one night because he would always put her and her brother Otto first. No matter what he did. If there were any hint that either one of them didn't like the woman in which he was dating, he'd cut her out.
After spending long hours alone in her room, thinking about everything, she began to recognize all the sacrifices in which her father has made for them on several occasions. This fact alone was what had her agreeing to the invitation of speaking with Judy over the phone. Besides, she was more than a little curious as to find out what type of woman this Judy was for her father to be so infatuated with her.
After their first conversation, Reggie could see why; the woman had of way of making it seem as if you were the most important person to her in those moments you spoke with her. She would ask, and talk, with Reggie about things that the twelve year old would never have thought to talk about with her younger brother or father.
It was tough being the only girl sometimes. She was never able to fully dump her problems on someone who may have a better understanding on how she felt. Boy were boys, and they were..ugh!
It was because of these talks with Judy that she had found herself sneaking the woman's number from out of her father's address book in order to call her. And after miss-dialing the number about two hundred times due to her shaky fingers, she was able to get a hold onto the woman to inform her of her...bloody woes.
Just two weeks ago she had been given a fair warning from her school. It had been in the form of an out of date VHS tape that told her of all the things in which she would need to know about her growing body. However, hearing about it and actually experiencing it were two totally different things.
When it all first began that fateful morning, Reggie had completely forgotten about what the educational video had taught her. In fact. she vividly remembers joking about its corniness with the rest of the girls who were forced to watch it with her. All she could focus on upon noticing the blood in her panties, which was accompanied by sharp pains in her pelvic area, was that she was bleeding from her lady bits, and that she surly had cancer.
Her dead mother had died from cancer because of her ovaries, something she was pretty sure the video had mentioned at least once or twice. Cancer was hereditary, right?! So she must have it!
All of this and more was what she had explained to Judy that day, and at a rapid too.
Once Judy was able to calm her down and inform her that she, in fact, did not have, and would not have, cancer of the lady bit variety, she, in a motherly tone, basically went over all the things that had already been said by the puberty video, and then some. It was after that conversation when Reggie began to consider Judy as a potential mother figure, especially upon sensing that her father may ask the woman to marry him once he finally met up with her.
Having Reggie, and then Otto upon seeing his sister, come up to her with no type of hesitation, warmed Judy's heart. Her talks with the Rocket children created a place in her heart for them. She had once believed the she could never love anyone else as much as she loved her daughter Quinn, but then Raymundo came along and proved her wrong. Now, her husband's children were proving her wrong once more.
"We're so happy you're finally here, Mrs. Judy." Reggie said as she pulled back a little from their group hug. Her brother Otto voiced his agreement with an enthusiastic nod of his head. Before the Fabray's arrival, Otto had been planning on disliking the woman and her daughter. He had even planned on driving her away with the help of his sister and friends. However, after Reggie caught on to what he was concocting, she sat him down and explained to the mischievous boy on how important Judy was to their father and that he should give the woman a chance.
And so he had. He, reluctantly at first, began to accept the phone whenever it would be handed to him. In the beginning, he never knew what to say to the woman other than what type of new tricks he was planning on learning, or how well he did in a competition he had participated in. But after a while, when Judy proved great at listening to him go on and on, while asking the appropriate questions at the right moment, he began to warm up to her.
If his dad had to choose a wife, this one wasn't so bad. However, he still didn't like the fact that she came with a daughter. That meant he'd have two sisters! Quinn didn't even seem cool! She'd never really talk to any of them, and when she did she barely said anything! She was weird.
"Oh, honey. Judy is fine!" she said with a rub to both Reggie and Otto's back while attempting to control her stinging eyes and tight throat at the girl's touching words. "You have no idea how happy I am to be meeting you both."
Watching his kids embrace their new mother damn near had Ray bawling like a big baby. He had been a bit apprehensive before, as he had thought his children, who were not above chasing away a potential suitor, would attempt to do exactly that with Judy upon meeting her. However, having been proved wrong had him thrilled about the future with his new–his complete–family.
A family that now included his wife, Judy, and his step-daughter, Quinn.
At that, he gently brought Quinn into his side and beamed down at her. At first, Quinn tensed at his actions, not used to being hugged by someone other than her mother or aunt. However, after a few seconds, she relaxed upon realizing that it actually kind of felt...nice. Her father never did this with her. He was never one to show physical affection. Obviously, Ray was not like him, and Quinn was slowly beginning to see this.
"I know my being here might seem a bit out of the blue," Judy continued to speak with the Rocket children, "but I just want you both to know that I love your father very much. I don't plan on going anywhere." She told them with such conviction in her voice. The Rocket children, who lost their mother at a young age, wished the woman's words to be true as they upped the vigor to their hug.
"The same can be said with me, little cuz." Raymundo made sure to say to his step-daughter in a soft tone as they both looked at the other, keeping their side conversation between them two while doing so. "Know that I will never intentionally hurt your mother–that I will treat her like the deserving woman she is. If you ever feel like I've broken this promise, then feel free to challenge me on that. You were the protector of your mother first, and I respect that."
Not knowing how to respond to such words, Quinn, with a light blush to her cheeks, broke from the intense gaze that fell upon her in order to bring them back to her mother and her new siblings.
Looking at them, you'd think she'd feel some type of jealousy with the way her mother was holding someone other than her. However, all she felt was acceptance; of her changed situation, and of her family.
Sometime later, Judy and Raymundo were pulled away from the children to receive wedding gifts from the man's friends and regulars at the Shack. This left Quinn alone at the table with her new siblings and their friends. A plate of her own Easy-Cheesy nachos in front of her.
"What was your name again?" the Hispanic boy asked her as he resumed eating his nachos after nosily watching the scenes that had played out right in front of him.
"Quinn," she answered in a low tone, so low that everyone at the table had to lean in so as to fully hear her.
"Hi, Quinn." Reggie said with a welcoming smile. "I'm Reggie," said girl said as she pointed to herself.
"That's Sam," The other girl continued as she gestured towards the blonde boy who sat next to her. "Next to him is Twister," the boy gave Quinn a nod of his head as if to say, 'sup.' "And then, of course, there's Otto." The boy in question only stared at her like he had done earlier before–judging her. Quinn tried not to gulp under his gaze.
"So, how old are you, Quinn?" Sam asked the other blonde.
"Eight," she answered.
"She's practically a baby!" Otto complained, causing Quinn to blush.
"Otto," Reggie admonished her brother with narrowed eyes aim his way. "She's only two years younger than you."
"I bet you she doesn't even skate." Otto continued, ignoring his sister's words. "Well, do you?" Quinn shook her head no.
"Surf?" Another shake of her head.
"Blade?" Twister asked her next through a mouth full of nachos.
"No,"
"Bike?" "Snowboard?" "Motocross?" No, no, and no. With each activity they threw at her, the more incredulous they sounded.
"What do you do?" Otto asked with a snort.
"Read," she answered meekly.
"What a lameo." Otto said with a shake of his head.
At his dismissive words, Quinn's head dipped down to where the only thing she saw was the nachos that were in front of her. She began to eat them, sullen as can be.
"Hey, don't listen to him." Reggie said lowly to her, sympathy clear in her voice. "He's just jealous he's not the baby anymore." she tried, yet Quinn just ignored her as she silently nibbled at her nachos.
She was used to it by now–people thinking she was weird. However, this time it was different. The other kids weren't related to her. This was supposed to be the boy she called brother. If he didn't even like her then maybe she really was a lameo.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Two Months Later
Quinn stood in the doorway that led down into her room, nervously shifting from foot to foot. Trying to work up the courage to fully step into the living room where her step-father sat on the couch, going over the Shore Shack's bills with a furrowed brow.
Two months have passed since her and her mother came to live with the Rockets, and her mother was absolutely loving it. She loved that she was able to mother two other kids along with her daughter, and that she was finally a wife to someone who appreciated her.
Quinn, on the other hand, could have been better.
Living with the Rockets wasn't too bad. She liked Ray. He definitely cared more about her than even her own father. And Reggie was always nice to her, but Otto...he found her to be an annoying pest, which often confused Quinn as she didn't really do much that could be considered annoying. she mostly kept to herself.
Even so, despite Otto's lack of interest, over the months, the blonde child found herself looking up to the older boy. He was really cool!
All the things he could do on a board amazed her to no end. Time after time she would watch him do something that would leave her heart jumping from excitement; and time after time she'd picture herself being able to do the very same, insane tricks that he was able to do on and off the water.
She wanted to be like him; fearless of whatever came her way just like Otto was. He'd tackle any new, seemingly impossible trick with determination in his eyes and the word quit muted in his mind.
With each day, that urge to pick up a board grew, especially whenever she'd watch them all together. Putting them all together–the Rockets, along with Twister and Sam–always proved to provide Quinn with endless hours of entertainment.
It wasn't until last week when Quinn decided to act upon her urge to ride. She had overheard a conversation between the Rocket children and her mother where they had explained that their father had been the one to teach them the basics in surfboarding. If the man had done that for his kids, then maybe he was willing to do the same for her. After all, wasn't she, sort of, his kid now too?
With that, Quinn took one more deep breath, exhaling it for courage, before fully entering the living room to stand in front of the shark bitten table.
"Um, Ray?" The eight year old started somewhat meekly as she shifted nervously from foot to foot. The man looked up from his papers in order to give his step-daughter his full attention.
"What's up, little cuz? Looking for your mom? 'Cause she's out grocery shopping right now." he told her, assuming that was what she had wanted from him. While the blonde had warmed up to him, she still didn't actively seek him out from some conversation.
"That's not what I wanted."
"Oh," Ray said, surprised. "Well then, I'm all ears." His interest was piked.
"I-I was wondering if-if maybe you could teach me how to surf like Otto and Reggie." Quinn was finally able to get out with a few stumbles, all the while nervously playing with her fingers.
Raymundo sat his papers down on the coffee table before leaning back into the couch. An honored smile was wide across his scruffy face.
"You want to learn how to surf, little cuz?" He asked her with a raised brow. Quinn gave him an enthusiastic nod of her head. "Humm," he said with a scratch to his chin. "Does your mom know about this?" she shook her head.
"I wanna ride like my brother and sister." Quinn told him with a light blush.
The man's face softened at his step-daughter's words. "I'd be happy to teach you." he finally answered her.
He knew Judy would have something to say about this, as Quinn was her baby girl and she didn't want to see her hurt, but he'd deal with any repercussions once the woman came back from her grocery shopping.
"Go pack your trunks and stuff for today and tomorrow – we're going on a trip."
A little over four hours later, the family of five were walking onto a forgotten beach that was many miles outside Ocean Shores. Not too far behind them, having just parked beside Raymundo's vintage woodie, was Tito, who brought Twister and Sam along with him.
Baha beach was apparently some secret that only those present knew about, according to an excited Otto, who had given the beach its name years ago when they accidentally stumbled upon it.
It was a Baha Camping Surf trip; a trip that the Rockets and friends took only once a year. They would come to this hidden beach and camp out for a weekend, all the while surfing the beast waves that would make it's way to shore. They took their trip for the year just before Judy and Quinn had joined them in California. It was one last bonding trip with just the three of them–Ray, Reggie, and Otto; the original Rockets.
Which was exactly why Otto, who would normally be excited about such a visit to one of his favorite places, was extra quiet; all throughout the drive too. Initially, he had been what his father and sister had expected him to be upon hearing that they would be going to Baha beach; ecstatic.
However, upon realizing that Judy and Quinn would be coming along as well, his mood changed. It wasn't that he was disappointed that his new family members were joining him. It was just that everything was just now beginning to his him.
This trip was sacred to the Rockets. They rarely let anyone in on the secret. Those who were–Tito, Twister, and Sam–were important people in their lives. For Judy and Quinn to join them on this, meant that his father truly wished them to be apart of this family; especially if her were willing to give Quinn's first surfing lessons here like he had done with him and his older sister.
That fact alone caused a slight change in the boy, which was made evident through his quietness. However, during his heavy thinking he came to the conclusion that if Quinn was going the be there as his little sister, then it was time for him to step up as the older brother and make sure his new baby sister didn't suck at surfing.
Today, they would spend the rest of the daylight surfing. Later that night, they would have a little bonfire and eat whatever Judy and Tito had prepared for them on the grill the Hawaiian man had brought along. And the next day, after a breakfast, they would surf some more before taking their leave.
When Judy was told the reason behind the impromptu trip, she hadn't been particularly happy about it all. However, she conceded to it all after seeing how much joy that had been on her daughter's face at the prospect of learning how to surf from her step-father. Especially when Otto, whose mood had increased upon setting foot on the beach, and Reggie spoke to their younger sibling of all the tricks they'd teach as they set up camp.
The kids had even had gone as far as to call the young blonde a Squid. She would have been concerned with the name had it not been for the fact that Quinn seemed proud to be called such a thing. This later became understandable upon learning what being called a Squid meant; it meant that with Quinn beginning to learn how to surf, she was now officially the least experience out of the children when it came to riding. The name previously belonged to Sam, but now that Quinn was learning, it was bestowed upon her.
It was a tradition that made Quinn feel included.
After all the tents had been pitched–a new feature in the Baha trip, thanks to Judy, an inexperienced camper–all those who knew how to surf, were finally released to hit the water; of course, with the exception of Judy, Quinn, and Raymundo, who began his surf lessons with the eight year old.
While Judy set up her lawn chair in a shaded spot so as to read her book, Ray and Quinn went and found a suitable spot of their own to begin.
"Alright, little cuz. Let's get down to it." Raymundo said as he placed a surfboard that was right for the eight year old's size onto the wet sand that was occasionally licked by the ocean. It was an old board of Otto's that he never used anymore. Upon finding out that she would be learning, he had gifted it to his little sister. A smile so wide had graced Quinn's lips that were unused to such a thing. She didn't even care that the board was littered with various blemishes.
It was hers.
The first thing Ray taught her was the fundamentals while she lay on the board. It was something that needed to be done before they even stepped into the water.
Once Quinn had a grasp on that, Ray had her repeating it all over and over until it became instinctive. After a while, Quinn didn't have to think about her movements. This went on till lunch where Judy asked her husband how things were going with her daughter.
"She seems to be getting the hang of it." He answered as he accepted the plate that was being offered to him. "Though, we won't fully know until we get her into the water." They both watched the subject of their conversation as she shyly responded to whatever her brother had just asked her with a nod of her head, her cheeks filled with hot dog. It looked as if he were giving her pointers on how to surf, if his hand motions and serious expression were anything to do by.
After lunch, all the kids had to wait a little while before they headed back into the ocean, much to their displeasure. So, to kill time, they pulled their skateboards out and headed to the nearby parking lot where Otto felt that it was his duty to teach his squid sister how to skateboard from the best.
With help from Twister and Reggie, Quinn was able to perform a decent Ollie just before they were given the go ahead to go back into the water. Quinn's ability to pick up on things fast had impressed them all, leaving them with open jaws quite a few times. With several ruffles to her head, she was left alone once more with Raymundo to continue on with their lessons, which was finally moved into the water.
Unsurprisingly, actually surfing in the ocean was much harder than skateboarding. She had fallen off her board more times than she could count, to the others great amusement, and her mother's nervous heart. However, Quinn was always quick to get back on, determined than the time before to get it right. She wanted to be able to ride at least one small wave–the only ones Raymundo was allowing her to ride for the time being, due to her beginner status–before the sun went down.
And true enough, just as the sun was setting, Quinn performed a successful pop up and rode her board all the way to the beach where she jumped off with a loud, uncharacteristic "YES!" as soon as she jumped all around the beach. Judy had truly lost it then, openly crying tears of joy as she watched how her ecstatic daughter was tackled to the ground with congratulations from her brother and sister, and their two friends.
Later that night, as they all sat around the bonfire they made, Quinn did not once stop smiling. At points, she'd even outright laugh at the jokes Twister would crack, and at the ridiculous Ancient Hawaiian stories that Tito told. This never changed, even with the next day. In fact, it seemed that it only happened more frequently as Quinn surfed and skated with the others till it was finally time for them to leave Baha Beach.
After that day on the beach, a bug had been injected into Quinn Fabray, and it only got worse as time went by, but it was all for the better as new Quinn was born.
Moore Info: Changed how Otto and Reggie's mom died. I also made Otto and Lars half-siblings to explain the red hair and what not.
Next Chapter: Time jump + Rachel