Thank you for your lovely reviews, follows and favorites. They truly mean a lot. I'm super grateful for any and all feedback, and it means the world to me that people find this story enjoyable, and worth the read. Your reviews are what inspire me to continue.
To the guest that was unhappy that Quinn is the one paralyzed and not Rachel: I'm sorry? :P I personally made it that way because I felt that the character that Quinn is based off of best aligned with her personality over Rachel's or anyone else. It's hard to imagine a cold and calculating Rachel Berry, and a nervous Quinn Fabray trying to win her friendship.
Rachel found herself sitting at the kitchen island on her second day, reading through the blue binder, trying to commit everything to memory. The big metal sliding door was sealed shut, and the only time she had seen Quinn that day was to hand Quinn her meds. The blonde hadn't said a word to her. She tried not to take it personally.
Rachel's head shot up at the sound of the front glass door opening, and she watched as a hurried Santana slid off her jacket. "How is she this morning?"
"Hello, Santana," Rachel said, folding her hands in front of her.
"Has she impersonated Stephen Hawking yet, or just stuck with My Left Foot?" Santana asked hanging up her coat and bag.
Rachel's eyebrows scrunched together at this idea of a playful Quinn Fabray. It seemed almost impossible to imagine the woman doing anything lighthearted or joking in any way.
"She's been fine," Rachel offered. And she had. That was all Quinn Fabray had been. Just fine. It was the only way she could describe somebody who hadn't said a word to her. At least she wasn't the ice queen Rachel had seen yesterday.
"Alright, Berry," Santana said, reaching into the cabinet for something. She pulled out a syringe and walked to the fridge. "You can take your lunch now. Me and Quinn have a few things to take care of at this time of day." She pulled a liquid vial from the fridge.
"Oh, is there anything I can help with?" Rachel asked, getting up from the barstool and smiling.
Santana flashed her a look that wiped the smile right off of Rachel's face. "Know when to excuse yourself, Berry."
Rachel bit her cheek to keep from saying anything. As much as she wanted to point out how rude she was, Rachel knew Santana was going to be doing things for Quinn that were way out of her depth, and she didn't want to get in the way of the blonde's health.
"I'll be back in half an hour," Rachel told Santana, walking over to the coat rack.
"Can't wait." Sarcasm was laced throughout Santana's words, and she didn't bother to turn and look at Rachel.
The brunette watched Santana walk over to Quinn's room and slide the door open. She got a flash of Quinn's ponytail before the nurse slid the door shut, leaving Rachel alone. Rachel sighed and grabbed her coat and bag, walking out the front door of the annex.
It was a chilly fall day, and despite having her coat and hat, Rachel could only shiver to stave off the cold. She found a bench in the large garden outside, next to a rosebush that was preparing for winter. She pulled out her lunch, a kale salad with falafel on the side.
Before she could take her first bite, Rachel's phone dinged in her purse. She pulled it out and checked her texts.
Still a disaster? Her friend Kurt's text came through. She had told him the night before over the phone about everything that had happened – the caregiving job, the interview, the evil glare of one Quinn Fabray. He was gushing over the fact that Rachel was caring for Quinn Fabray, small town Lima royalty. Rachel could only be irritated with her friend during the conversation, who was ignoring her struggle in lieu of hearing about what the mansion looked from the inside, and if she had seen any cute men working there. Rachel noticed there were other staff in the large 80,000 square foot mansion, but rarely saw them, because no one else worked in the annex besides Santana.
Yep. Rachel sent back to him. She took a bite of her salad and frowned. She watched the leaves fall from the trees in the distance, alone. She couldn't help the tight feeling in her chest. She was actually looking forward to Santana coming back for lunch, she was so lonely.
When Rachel finished her food, she wandered her way back towards the house. Pulling the glass door to the annex open, Rachel could hear noises coming from Quinn's room. She quickly took off her purse and jacket and hung them up before walking over to Quinn's doorway.
The blonde was facing the wall in her room, so Rachel could see the side of her, and the petite girl gasped. She watched as Quinn's body was wracked with spasms, her chest arching from the chair. Her eyes were rolled in the back of her head and short moans were falling from her lips. Rachel clutched her chest as Santana scrambled to pour a few pills from a medicine bottle.
Rachel couldn't breathe at the uncomfortable sight of Quinn's body losing control. Her heart felt like it had stopped and she could only feel bad for the blonde suffering in front of her.
Santana did her best to grip Quinn's head as it shook violently beneath her hand, and tilted it back. Rachel winced as the nurse forced Quinn's mouth open, shoved the pills past her lips, and then held her jaw shut.
"C-couldn't she choke?" Rachel piped up, her lungs feeling like lead.
Santana flinched slightly at Rachel's voice over the commotion, but didn't look up. She rubbed Quinn's throat with two fingers. "No, midget." She waved her off with her hand. "Now's not the time."
"I… is there anything that I can do to help?" Rachel asked, taking a step closer.
Santana looked at Rachel with frantic eyes and the smaller brunette took a step back. "Go home, Berry. There's nothing you can do here."
Rachel hesitated, wondering if Judy Fabray would think it was acceptable for her to leave early.
"Leave. Now. Quinn doesn't want you here."
Rachel's breath caught in her throat, but she did as she was told. She grabbed her coat and purse once more, taking one last look at the blonde across the room. A feeling she couldn't identify welled in her throat as the blonde helplessly succumbed to her seizure. Rachel turned and quietly left the annex.
Every day for the next few weeks, Rachel and Quinn found themselves just going through the motions. Rachel would give her medicine in the morning, afternoon, and evening before she left. Quinn was rarely hungry, but most of the time, when she was, Rachel would have to feed her. Quinn could move her right arm, but some days it was painful, or too weak for her to feed herself.
Rachel tried not to feel sorry for Quinn, she really did, but she could only imagine how Quinn's ego was taking a hit every time she lifted the spoon or fork to her mouth. She could understand why, under those circumstances, one would rarely want to eat.
The brunette had also learned early on that Quinn had small mobility in her left fingers, as well. She couldn't move the arm in the same way that she could move her right, but a small touch screen was connected to the left arm rest of Quinn's wheelchair, and Rachel could see her using it from time to time. She assumed that she was able to text and use the device like a smart phone.
Rachel came in every morning with a "good morning!" just as Santana would leave. Every time, Quinn would only glance at her before turning her attention back to the window and the world outside. It was not long before Rachel realized the sliding door to Quinn's room was automatic, as well, and Quinn could open and close it whenever she pleased. She came to this realization the first time Quinn closed the door in her face when she tried to greet her in the morning.
It seemed like every day Santana would tell Rachel that "today's not a great day for her." Yet, Rachel persisted, offering Quinn tea, coffee, or cookies periodically, which would all be rejected with silence. She tried to get the blonde to go outside, to go out to eat, to do something with her as often as she could, but was never dignified with a response. It seemed that Quinn had perfected her own language of glares and raised eyebrows.
Rachel had even tried to bring in bright flowers she had picked from the field across from her house one morning. The minute Quinn heard the door slide open, she looked over to see Rachel holding a bouquet of sunflowers and wild lilies, and could only close her eyes and shake her head. Rachel threw the flowers away in the bin and resorted to feeling humiliated for the rest of the day.
A month after Rachel had first started, she found herself dragging her feet as she hung up her coat. She didn't realize how much this job would kill her morale. She fixed her hair and sighed. This is what Quinn wanted, wasn't it? For Rachel to lose her "chattiness"? Well, she got it. Rachel's cheery personality was officially ruined the second she stepped foot into the annex every morning.
Rachel walked to the cupboard next to the fridge and pulled out the blue bottle containing the blood pressure pills. She poured a glass of water before walking to Quinn's room. She pulled open the metal door and stepped inside. Rachel knew she had already missed Santana, because the blonde was out of bed and in casual day clothes, as opposed to her pajamas.
"Good morning, Quinn," Rachel said for the first time without smiling. Quinn noticed this and quirked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.
Rachel reached up to slip two small white pills into Quinn's mouth, but before she could do so, Quinn reached up with her right arm and took the pills from Rachel's hand. This was another first for Rachel. As long as she had known Quinn, she had only seen her feeding herself once, just as she had walked in one morning, and she could see Quinn wince in pain every time she lifted her arm. But Quinn had never tried to take her medicine on her own during Rachel's time at the mansion.
The blonde slipped the pills in her mouth, and Rachel lifted the glass of water to Quinn's lips. The blonde didn't bother taking the cup herself this time, but complied with Rachel and took a sip of water.
When she could tell that Quinn was done, Rachel pulled the cup away and gripped it in her hands. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "would you like to eat breakfast, now?"
Quinn gave Rachel a calculating look before sitting up straight. "Sure, Berry," she acquiesced.
Rachel flashed a small smile before making her way to the kitchen. She could hear Quinn's motorized chair following behind her. "What would you like this morning?" Rachel asked her.
Quinn continued to stare at Rachel, her face unreadable. Rachel felt uncomfortable beneath her gaze. "Cereal is fine."
Rachel nodded and reached for the Rice Krispies in the top shelf of the pantry. The reach was a little too tall for her, and she found herself on her tippy toes, grasping as best she could at the base of the box. She heard a stifled chuckle behind her and turned to face the blonde after she had grabbed the cereal.
Rachel scoffed. "Can I help you?"
Quinn let a small breath out of her nose. A sarcastic smile spread across her face. "I'm fine, thank you."
Rachel huffed at Quinn's behavior. "My height is not funny, Quinn. You shouldn't laugh at someone getting your breakfast ready." She grabbed a bowl and milk from the fridge, and began pouring the cereal.
"You're a bit insufferable," Quinn quipped, tapping her fingers against the armrest.
Rachel rolled her eyes. "That means little coming from someone as infuriating as you, Quinn Fabray."
Quinn's eyebrows rose at Rachel's retort. Rachel must have been seeing things, because she was convinced that there was a ghost of a smile on Quinn's lips.
The brunette lifted the bowl from the counter and walked over to Quinn. She paused for a moment, to see if Quinn would try to reach for the bowl and feed herself. When the blonde didn't make a move, Rachel brought the spoon to Quinn's mouth. The blonde took a bite and Rachel was careful to pull out the split second she was ready, to avoid holding the spoon in her mouth for an awkward length of time. Rachel scooped up some more cereal and held the spoon while she waited a moment for Quinn to finish the last bite.
After the blonde swallowed, she licked her lips. Rachel could feel her heart skip a beat when Quinn dragged her tongue across her pink lips. All she could do was stare. Quinn really was pretty. Watching Quinn's mouth, Rachel didn't notice a pair of hazel eyes observing her closely.
Both women jumped when Rachel accidentally spilled her spoonful of cereal in Quinn's lap, onto her tight black pants. Rachel's eyes grew wide and she gasped at the mistake. Quinn only looked up to the ceiling, clearly annoyed with the incident.
"I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Rachel sputtered, setting the bowl and spoon on the counter before running to grab the dishcloth hanging above the oven.
"Clearly." Quinn's tone was condescending.
Rachel rushed over and pressed the rag to Quinn's lap. "I really didn't mean to do it!"
"Berry…"
Rachel didn't notice Quinn speak up over her own voice. "P-please don't be mad, it'll dry quickly." She scooped up bits of cereal and placed them on the counter.
"Berry."
Rachel began furiously rubbing at Quinn's lap to dry the stain. "I'm so so sorry, Quinn, it'll never happen again, I-"
"Rachel, STOP."
Rachel froze. She immediately removed the cloth from Quinn and held it in her grip.
Quinn's eyes were closed, as it seemed she was trying to control her temper. When she opened them, they seemed colder than before. Rachel felt her heart sink when the blonde's gaze was just as searing as the first day they met. She didn't realize that Quinn had been growing softer, ever so slightly, as the days had gone by.
Quinn pressed a button and the wheelchair did a 180 turn before heading in the direction of her room. Rachel took a few steps to follow, but once the wheelchair was past the big metal doors, they slid shut.
Rachel hung her head.
When Rachel returned from her lunch break, the annex was empty. Quinn's door was wide open, but the blonde was absent. So was Santana. Rachel wasn't sure what to do at this point, because in half an hour, she was going to have to give Quinn her medicine.
Rachel felt curiosity creeping up on her. She double-checked to make sure no one was around, before letting her interest get the best of her. The brunette slowly stepped into Quinn's room and looked around. All that occupied it was a large wardrobe next to a queen-sized bed with white sheets, and a dresser with several picture frames resting above.
Rachel walked over to the dresser and scanned each of the pictures. She smiled lightly when she saw a picture of Quinn lying in the grass with Judy Fabray, smiles plastered on both of their faces, unaware that they were being photographed. She couldn't believe that either of the emotionless women could seem so carefree – it was foreign to Rachel.
Her eyes shifted to the next frame surrounding a picture of a brunette around her age, looking into the camera and smiling, with her head pressed against a pillow and a sheet covering her shoulders. Rachel's eyebrows knit together as she traced the features of the young woman. The setting was so intimate, she wondered if Quinn knew her in this way, naked under sheets, grinning lazily. Rachel hadn't seen the girl around in all her time at the mansion. A hollow feeling stirred in the pit of Rachel's stomach.
The next picture was of Quinn, the girl from the previous picture, and a guy with a Mohawk all dressed in ski gear, with a tall blue mountain in the background. Once again, Quinn's white teeth were showing, and Rachel found herself melting slightly at the image. The brunette that Quinn was clearly dating had her arms wrapped around the blonde's arm, while the mohawked boy had his arm slung over Quinn's shoulder. The blonde's cheeks were red from the cold, but she couldn't look happier.
"Val d'Isere." A voice spoke from behind her.
Rachel flinched and turned to face Quinn, who had stopped in the doorway, eyeing Rachel with a look that, although as bitter and unkind as always, was now a little solemn.
"Good snow that year," Quinn's voice was emotionless.
Rachel couldn't pull her eyes away from the blonde. "Sorry. I was… I was…"
Quinn's face grew bored and her fingers gripped the right armrest. "You were just looking at my pictures, thinking how awful it must be to have lived like that and ended up like this." Quinn's head turned away. "The rest are in the drawer if you'd like to snoop around further."
Rachel opened her mouth to speak, but the blonde's wheelchair spun around and moved away from the room. Rachel quietly walked out.
"Every time I speak, she looks at me like I'm incompetent, a-and annoying," Rachel complained.
Rachel and Kurt were lying on their backs on her bed, staring at Rachel's star string lights hanging from the ceiling. It had been two days since the cereal and picture incident, and Rachel was walking on eggshells every day since then. She found comfort in being able to come home after a long day and be with her boyfriend or best friend. Finn was working at the gym tonight, though. He had taken on a few more clients as a physical weight trainer.
"To be fair, you are pretty annoying," Kurt pointed out. Rachel lightly slapped his shoulder. The boy chuckled and shrugged. "Maybe she's like that with everyone, until she knows whether they're going to stick around. I mean, it's only been a month."
"It feels like a lifetime," Rachel groaned.
"Well, you can't quit, Rachel, you need the money." Kurt gripped Rachel's hand and held it to his chest.
"Yeah? Watch me." Rachel pouted.
"Come on, you have to hang in there. Rachel Barbra Berry doesn't quit. You just need to melt the ice somehow."
Rachel groaned once more and buried her face in Kurt's shoulder.
Rachel entered the mansion from the front entrance the next morning, and ran into Judy Fabray on her way to the annex. The blonde woman was leaning against a decorative table and staring out the window.
Without turning her head, she spoke to the tiny brunette. "Rachel, some visitors are on their way. Friends of Quinn's." Judy turned and pressed her fingertips to the table. "It's unexpected. You might need to-"
"Oh, I'll make some tea, or coffee," the brunette offered. Judy looked at her, and Rachel felt compelled to speak up once more. "And I'll make myself scarce."
"Yes, that would be good," Judy replied, before facing away from Rachel again. "I think I'll… I think I'll leave them to it."
Rachel scanned the stoic woman's face, before nodding and walking to the annex.
When Rachel opened the door, she heard voices filling the room. For fear of making things awkward, she hid in the hallway, trying to make her presence unknown.
"So how's the physio and stuff?" She heard a slick male voice ask. "Any improvements?"
"No." She heard Quinn's voice speak out with an extra layer of ice to it.
Rachel took a few steps closer and peered into the room. She caught sight of the mohawked boy from the photo with his head now shaved, and wearing a black leather jacket and a pair of jeans. Next to him, the naked brunette from the photos was also present, with a cream-colored cashmere sweater and hair curled at the ends. Quinn was sitting across from them, in a black sweater and dark blue pants, her hair, once again, up in a ponytail. Between them sat the coffee table, with tea resting on top of it.
"Well, you look great," the dark-haired guy said, scratching the back of his neck.
"Yeah," the brunette next to him nodded.
Quinn quirked an eyebrow, her lips upturned in a wry smile. "Thank you, Puckerman. So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
The woman across from Quinn spoke up and began rambling. "Sorry it's been so long. I've been so busy – they've been really working me hard, even on weekends."
"Yeah, and things are crazy at the office, too. New guy from New York. Bains, you ever heard of him?" The man presumed to be Puckerman asked Quinn.
Quinn looked up. "No."
"Fearsome. Total monster. Most days it feels like I can't even leave my chair," he chuckled and the woman next to him giggled.
Quinn's eyebrow arched, but she didn't respond.
Puckerman cleared his throat, and the smile fell from both of their faces.
"Are you going to say anything, ahem, about the announcement?" The brunette asked.
A fake smile spread across Quinn's face. "Congratulations. To the both of you."
"Neither of us meant for this to happen, Quinn," the woman took a step closer to the blonde. "We were just friends for ages. And, truth be told, Puck was so supportive after your accident."
"Big of him," Quinn deadpanned.
"Oh, Quinn, please… I-"
Puck spoke up, his face blank. "We should probably go."
They both began walking towards Rachel, and she tried to hide further back in the hallway. Puck turned to talk to Quinn, who was facing away from him. "I'm sorry, Quinn. I really am. We both are. And I- uh, we, really hope things improve for you."
Quinn's former lover gave one last look before following Puck towards the door to the mansion. Puck paused for a moment when he saw Rachel, but decided to ignore her and walk out the door.
The brunette caught sight of Rachel and sighed. Her eyes fell to the floor, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "You know, I tried for months. She just pushed me away. She didn't want me here." She ran her fingers through her hair. "You can only help someone who actually wants to be helped."
And with that, she walked out of the room on tall black heels and closed the door behind Rachel.
Rachel stepped out of the hallway and into the open space. She hung her coat on the hook and stepped towards Quinn's room, where the blonde was facing away from her.
"I was wondering, if you wanted me to-"
A loud crash interrupted Rachel's sentence and she hurriedly walked over to the room, terrified that Quinn had hurt herself. When she looked inside, she saw two shattered picture frames, lying on the floor. Rachel didn't have to look at the photographs to know which two pictures they were.
Rachel went into a full-on panic, holding a hand out to stop Quinn. "Don't move until I clean that up. I have no idea what I'd do if you popped a tire."
The blonde looked at Rachel, her chest heaving, before turning her head away. Even though she tried to hide it, Rachel could see the tear fall from Quinn's eye before she could stop it. The brunette swallowed, her stomach twisting in knots at the sight of Quinn like this. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find anything to say that could possibly help Quinn in this moment. Rachel turned on her heels to grab a broom, leaving the heartbroken blonde to stare out the window.