A/N - Thank you everyone for your great reviews! I do not own Glee… at all.

Chapter 2

When I awoke the next morning, it felt like I'd been asleep for years. My body felt heavy and stiff, and every one of my muscles seemed to throb in a way I'd never known before. I laid still and wondered at the unfamiliar, yet pleasant, throb between my legs.

It took me a bit longer than usual to shake off the lethargy of sleep, but once my mind had cleared a bit, my eyes were able to focus on my surroundings.

The bedroom I was in was large, with high ceilings and paint that seemed to sparkle a golden color as the rays of the sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It was an amazingly beautiful room. I was laying in the center of a bed large enough to sleep at least ten people comfortably. The comforter was warm and the sheets felt silky against my naked skin—

Wait…

Naked skin? I never slept naked.

I bolted upright, wincing when my head throbbed sharply in protest. I lifted the sheet, and sure enough… I was completely naked… in someone else's bed.

Shit.

This was definitely not a normal occurance for me.

My mind frantically scoured for any memories of what had happened the previous night. One by one they came back to me.

Stolen from my bed in the middle of the night.

Losing my eyesight.

Being dragged away as I kept screaming and demanding answers that never came.

Submerged in warm water. A gentle voice of a older woman telling me that I was strong and wouldn't be harmed.

The unmistakeable pain and torture I felt as my body seemed to be torn apart. Pain I'd never known to have ever existed.

Then my eyesight returning in time to see the most gorgeous woman with long blonde hair I'd ever seen.

Quinn. The name whispered through my memory and caused a warmth to envelope my body. Who she was, I had no idea. But by the looks of this bedroom, she was very wealthy. And this wasn't even the bedroom I'd been in the night before with Quinn.

Quinn… Elves… Sex so incredible and magical that it wouldn't have been possible in the real world.

"Most definitely not a dream," I said aloud, nervously biting my bottom lip, glancing down at the beautiful bedspread.

That's when I finally took a good look at my arms. My first thought was that my skin color was wrong, but as I began to study them, I realized it was much more than that. Not only was my natural olive skintone gone, but my skin was now completely unmarred and unblemished as if I'd never exposed it to twenty years of sun and wear-and-tear of living.

Ripping the covers off my legs, I gawked down at the sight.

My skin was now unnaturally… flawless. But that had to be impossible, no one's skin was that perfect—but as I thought it, my mind flickered back to the previous night and the goddess that was Quinn.

"Oh no…" I whispered in horror. I jumped out of bed and frantically scanned around the room for some type of mirror… actually any reflective surface would do. I spotted what looked like an ornate dressing table. A hairbrush and other grooming items set on top, next to what looked like an old-fashioned porcelain basin and pitcher.

I scrambled across the room and stopped in front of the large mirror, frozen in place. One look at the stranger staring back at me had me close to losing my shit… or passing out from pure shock. Either way, it was not good.

My hair was still the same dark chestnut brown, but now it was twice as long and more glossy and healthy than I'd ever seen it. But my eyes were no longer the color of milk chocolate… they were now green, a shade that was an exact replica of Quinn's eyes, and they had the same unearthly glow and were filled with some sort of inner fire. My face had lost its roundness; my cheekbones were now much more prominent, my eyebrows thinned and more slanted.

It was me… and yet, not me at the same time.

A frightening thought occurred, and my hand shot to one of my ears. Round. Breathing a sigh of relief they were still normal and not pointed like typical elves' were.

My eyes traveled lower and I definitely noticed more significant changes.

I'd never been what some people would call chubby, but I hadn't been able to lose that last little bit of my baby fat. And with work and school, the gym hadn't exactly been high on my list of priorities. But now, as my eyes examined my entire body with increasing alarm, I could see that every ounce of fat was gone. Just… gone. My plain figure was now replaced by feminine curves that every supermodel would kill for, and a hint of lean muscle that looked like I was a triathlete.

A smile touched my lips. This was absolutely amazing.

My mind suddenly went back to the lovemaking of the previous night and my eyes zeroed in at the breast—which were larger than before, to my happiness—where a certain bite mark was now conspicuously absent. I nibbled my bottom lip in confusion. I knew I'd felt the pain when Quinn bit me, I'd seen the blood on her lips… hell, I even tasted it on her tongue for goodness sake! How could it now be gone? No scab, no scar, just… nothing. Only that strange new, airbrushed-looking skin.

I continued my assessment and turned my attention to my legs, feeling my breath catch in my throat. Last night I hadn't thought much about it when I stood so close to Quinn, but now I could clearly see that the length of my legs had increased significantly. From what I could remember, Quinn and I were close to the same height, Quinn maybe an inch taller. I'd guess my new height to be about 5'9" or 5'10"... a far cry from my previous 5'2". I now understood the cause of all that excruciating pain I'd suffered while in the hands of my abductors. I'd felt as if I was being torn apart bit by bit. And now the supporting evidence was—quite literally—staring me right in the face.

The elves had somehow remade my body. I didn't know whether to thank them or be furious and insulted.

While I had always considered myself passably pretty, I'd never had anywhere near the beauty of many of the actresses on Broadway. But the elves had changed a good many things that had bothered me about myself over the years, as if they'd plucked the information right from my mind. However my eyes—they'd been the one feature that I'd really liked. They were the same as my mother's. But now the elves had taken that away from me without so much as a "may I", and replaced them with something foreign. Who the hell was this strange girl staring back at me with wide eyes, looking a breath away from completely freaking out?

Unable to look at my new naked body anymore, I turned and saw a silky robe hanging on a hook next to the dressing table. I grabbed it and pulled it on, cinching up the belt.

I needed to think. I needed somewhere to sit down. Looking around I spotted a small square table with a couple of wooden chairs against the far wall. I stumbled over and all but collapsed into one of the chairs.

For a while, I just sat there staring at the door, trying to calm my racing heart. So many questions were bombarding my mind, but the only coherent thought that emerged was "Why? Why was this happening to me?"

There were a few things that I knew for sure:

1. I'd been sleeping in my own bed, in my own apartment, when strangers grabbed and abducted me to some fantasy land.

2. Elves are indeed real.

3. They somehow physically changed my body. The "How" was still a mystery, though.

4. I was brought here for Quinn's pleasure—who exactly Quinn was, I had no idea.

I could feel my cheeks heat up at the thought of the elven goddess and our lovemaking.

However, I still didn't understand how I could have given myself so willingly to her… my innocence was now gone, and I didn't even put up at least some kind of fight to keep it. I knew I couldn't really blame it on Quinn's overwhelming presence, either. She had given me the choice of oblivion or consciousness, and I'd answered without much, if any, thought. It had just felt right, somehow.

But she was a complete stranger to me, a woman that I hadn't even known her name, yet I'd slept with her as if I'd known her all my life. But the real kicker was that I knew damn well I would make the same decision if presented with the same choices right now when my head was clear.

I sighed and cradled my head in my hands. It was all too much to think about. I raised my eyes wearily and scanned the room for a distraction, any distraction.

I stood up, trying to unsuccessfully ignore the throbbing soreness deep inside of me as I gingerly walked over to the windows and drew back the sheer cream-colored curtains. The sky was a deep blue, and the sun shone brightly. If I had to guess, I assumed it was sometime in the afternoon. I hadn't realized how long I'd slept. Sex with a mythical elf sure knocked it all out of you.

I turned back to the bedroom, the sunlight brightening up the entire room. But even though I could see the outside, it felt like I was in a cage. The room was large and spacious, but still a cage—No! I wasn't going to let myself go there. Not now.

My eyes landed on a couple of built-in bookcases in the wall beside the bed, filled from ceiling to floor with books.

Perfect.

I scanned over a few books, finding that most of the titles on the spines were written in a language I'd never seen before. I assumed it must be the Elven language—all connected half-circles and random-looking squiggly lines and symbols. I selected one of the few with a title written in Latin that, with its warped spine and cracked leather cover, looked old enough to have been read by Plato. I had studied Latin for a couple semesters at the university, so I hoped I could piece through it. I was somehow convinced there had to be some answers within its yellowed, ancient-looking pages.

However, after trudging through a few pages, I realized things wouldn't be so easy. The Latin was so archaic that it might as well have been written in Sanskrit for all I could decipher it. Plus, the person who had transcribed it had atrocious handwriting. It was difficult to even make out each letter, much less a word.

I'd been so intent on studying the book that I didn't notice another presence come into the room. And it was a while before I sensed I wasn't alone anymore. I stiffened and slowly raised my eyes to the door, my heart suddenly in my throat.

"Good morning, my Rachel," Quinn said, smiling as she came over to the table. "I hope you slept well.

She looked as beautiful as I'd remembered. She was dressed just as I'd imaged a traditional elf would—a flowing navy blue tunic-like robe made of silk, all embroidered in silver and gold filament. Straight out of any clothing designer's wet dream.

I started to get up—to do what, I didn't know—but she quickly shook her head.

"There is no need to rise," Quinn said gently, her eyes boring into mine so intently that I could almost feel her gaze as a physical touch.

I sank back down into my chair, trying not to wince when the movement irritated the soreness between my legs. I swallowed hard and gestured to the chair across from me. "Will you sit?" I asked, surprised I could speak at all. Just being in her presence caused my emotions to fluctuate.

The elf bowed her head slightly in acceptance and complied. She didn't seem to be at all tense. Where my movements were stiff and cautious, Quinn seemed like she was performing an intricate dance, her movements so fluid and relaxed.

"So… am I supposed to be your concubine now?" My tone was harsher than I'd intended as my anger decided to dominate for the moment. But fear came right behind it as I quickly pressed my lips together, not knowing if I could be put to death by using such a tone to a person of obvious power. But even though my emotions were currently frayed, I had to know the truth of my situation.

Her lips transformed into a brilliant smile, her perfectly straight white teeth gleaming as her countenance practically lit up the room. "Based on our first meeting, I know it would seem so. However, concubines are for humans. For the Elven, there are only lovers and life-mates."

"And I'm which?" I asked quietly, pushing the book aside.

Quinn shifted in her chair, as if to prepare herself to give bad news. "Our relationship is a bit more complicated, I fear, Rachel. I didn't expect you to be so compliant and accepting—even though your strength and your spirit were the reasons why I chose you in the first place."

I stiffened. "Chose me? Chose me for what?" I demanded.

Her gaze never left mine as she clasped her hands together. "Last night I promised you answers, and you will have them. But first, I need answers from you."

A knot tightened in the pit of my stomach. "What do you want to know?" I asked, swallowing against my rising anxiety.

"What do you think of all this?" Quinn asked, gesturing around the room, then at herself.

I was suddenly finding it increasingly more difficult to concentrate the more I looked into her eyes. Although they were exactly the same shade of green as my own new eye color, her irises were a bit larger than a human's, making something primal in my brain squirm uncomfortably. "To tell you the truth, I-I wouldn't know where to start. I'm so confused about everything. Why am I here? What do you want from me? And last night, why did we—" I stopped, unable to go on, feeling my cheeks blaze.

My embarrassment only seemed to amuse her more.

"Quinn—is that really your name?"

"Yes, that is my name," she confirmed, her smile full of warmth. "Although you probably will rarely hear it spoken. My people address me differently."

I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

She stood up and walked over to a pitcher of water and filled two glasses, bringing them back and handing one to me. I smiled gratefully and took a sip of the ice cold liquid. "I suppose that's a good place to begin answering your questions. In private, you may address me as you wish. But when others are present, you will address me as 'my lord'." She paused and stared at me for a long, uncomfortable moment. I almost forgot how to breathe. "Or… you may address me as 'my lord husband.'" She was watching me very carefully, anticipating my reaction.

"Husband?" I repeated dumbly. "But you're a…" I motioned to her body as my voice trailed off.

Amusement lit her eyes again, bringing with it a beautiful smile. "A woman?" she asked. When I nodded, she continued. "Although I am mostly a woman, and identify myself as a woman, it is because of my… extra appendage, you could say," she motioned toward her crotch. "and the fact I am the ruler of this realm and the Elven people, my titles are masculine."

I nodded in understanding, but one word still didn't make sense. "And how are you my husband?" I asked. Then it dawned on me. "Last night when we—"

Quinn nodded, smirking. "Our joining was more than what you humans so fondly call 'jumping each other's bones.'"

"How can you be so casual about all this?!" I blurted out, my exasperation seeping in to the point of tears. My emotions were still going haywire. And now with being in Quinn's presence it was twice as crazy. She scared me, made me nervous. Yet, strong feelings of comfort and longing settled on me like I'd just come home to the love of my life.

"Oh, Rachel." She pushed her chair back. "Come, have a seat," she said, patting her lap.

I didn't move, afraid of everything I was feeling, of the overwhelming need of wanting to jump up and obey her every desire. Her smile deepened like she knew exactly what I was thinking, and I almost lost my resolve.

"Don't worry. I only nip when it's appropriate," she assured me with an amused wink, making me stiffen even more when I remembered last night's accidental bite. "Trust me; this will help matters. I do not wish to see you so conflicted."

I had always prided myself on my control, but this supernatural being in front of me sent every ounce of my control to the four winds.

Quinn waited patiently, saying nothing while I struggled with myself. I didn't want to go to her, to be so near her.

I did; I didn't…

"Come to me, Rachel," she coaxed gently, holding out her hand. "I don't like to see the confusion in your beautiful eyes. I promise I will do my best to put your mind at ease, my darling."

That was what finally made the decision for me. I desperately wanted to be near her, to touch her. But I also needed answers. My hand was shaking as I accepted her outstretched hand. But the moment her hand encircled mine, I felt like I'd sold my soul. I was now utterly and completely hers; I felt it down to the very marrow of my bones.

But I knew I wouldn't want it any other way. I knew in my heart I belonged to her.

She gently pulled me towards her, her free arm moving to encircle my waist as she set me gently onto her lap. A sensation flooded through my very being; much like fitting two pieces of a puzzle together. This felt so right.

"Quinn…" I said, hearing the confusion in my voice.

The elf's arms tightened protectively around me. I turned and gazed at her with frightened eyes. She bent her head nearer, so slowly that I had all the time in the world to pull away—no doubt her intention. A moment later, I felt the electricity as her warm lips pressed against mine. And suddenly all of my fear was just—gone. Forgotten.

Quinn pulled away and smiled her charming smile, like she knew what had just happened. "Feel better?" she asked in that maddeningly casual voice.

"Yes." I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice. My trembling had even stopped. Did she have some sort of magic? She was an elf, so there was no telling what she could or couldn't do. At this point, I was ready to believe anything.

"You see; I told you all would be well. You are already beginning to relax, and that pleases me immensely." She was right—the tension had all but melted from my body.

I felt strangely at ease as well. Maybe it was because the conflict within me had finally dissipated. I was exactly where I wanted to be. I laid my head on her shoulder and realized that not even the mind-blowing ecstasy of last night compared to the peace I now felt from such a simple gesture.

"Are you ready to hear the rest?" she asked into the silence.

"Yes." I nodded. And I was.

"I should really start with who I am—my standing within the elven realm," Quinn began, sounding thoughtful. "As I said, last night was more than just a night of pleasure. When I brought you into my bed and we consummated our relationship, you became my wife. I'll explain why this was necessary in a moment. But for now, I believe that you knowing my true identity is the most important thing. My people, the Elven, are very different than any account you may have heard in the human realm. We exist in the same multi-dimensional space as humans, just slightly a degree or two out of phase." My eyes widened. "The reason humans cannot perceive our world, or even us, is that our various types of energies vibrate at a different frequency. It's like trying to see the color ultraviolet with human eyes alone. It's not possible. The Elven, on the other hand, can easily see your world as clearly as humans see it, we can even reach into and interact with your world."

"That's why the elves that appeared in my apartment looked like a bunch of animated shadows," I said with sudden realization.

"Yes, and that was also why in order to bring you here, my servants had to change a portion of your body's energies to match our vibration since a purely human body cannot interact in our plane of existence. You probably experienced the change as something like a cold wave flowing through your entire body. That is also why you seemed to lose your eyesight for a time, a 'side-effect' is the word you humans would use, I believe. However, what my servants initially did to you in your world was only a temporary fix. The natural laws of our dimension are very different from yours, which means you had to be almost completely altered in order to permanently maintain the correct level of vibration. You may have noticed how much you now resemble my people. It was necessary, and could only be done because our two worlds are essentially—to borrow another human phrase—'two sides of the same coin.'" She took a deep breath, running her fingers gently through my long dark hair. "But I really have strayed from my initial point. I am what you would call a 'king' in your world… but that word is inadequate, really. My status is so much more, but I don't want to get into that right now."

A king…? Seriously? "You said earlier that you are now my husband?" I said hesitantly. "So what does that make me?"

"Just that—you are my wife," she replied simply. "Our hierarchy does not work the same as some of those in the human world. I have another wife." My head popped up at that new piece of information. "She is of a different race of Elven than I—there are four races altogether in this realm—and she is Queen over all the Elven, just as I am its King. She has been the queen her entire life; it was, and is, her birthright. But our marriage is only a technicality, a symbol of unity between our two peoples." She laughed suddenly. "Truth be told, she really does not care too much for me. As far as elves go, I am not much to look at, I'm afraid. The queen is a very vain creature, very beautiful. But I honestly cannot remember the last time she was in my bed. A century, perhaps, and only because it was her duty to produce heirs. However, she never did conceive, and that is where you come in."

"Huh?" I said cleverly. I was still trying to deal with the fact that she already had a wife, never mind the utter incomprehensibility of someone as exquisite as Quinn was, believing that she "wasn't much to look at".

"Every few centuries, we must choose human women to bear our children," Quinn continued. "We are not a very fertile race. In contrast, humans are exceedingly fertile. We need your human genes in our children, even though they are the recessive gene, or else sooner or later our women are born barren. Now is such a time. An Elven child has not been born in over five centuries."

The fear returned again, as did the tension. "You brought me here to have your children?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes," she replied, her voice calm. "You will bear my heirs. That is why marriage was necessary between us. My heirs must be legitimate."

"But—but what if I don't want to have a baby?" I stammered, pulling away from her. The thought terrified me. I was only twenty years old, for goodness sake!

Quinn gently cupped my cheek. "You may already have my child in your womb, my love," she said softly. "You were very fertile last night."

"Oh shit," I moaned. I wanted to lunge off her lap and run, just get away. Instead, I collapsed against her chest and began to cry softly. That was finally the last straw, and I didn't know what else to do. Quinn said nothing, merely stroking my hair in an attempt to comfort me. "No," I said suddenly, pushing away from her shoulder and wiping at my eyes angrily. "I need to understand this. Why me, Quinn? Why did you choose me?"

"Let me ask you this, Rachel," she countered, wiping a stray tear from my cheek. "If I were to allow you to return to your home right now, would you really want to leave?"

Her question caught me completely off-guard, and before I could stop myself, I answered with surprising fervor in my voice. "No. I don't want to leave you, Quinn."

What had I just done? However both of us knew it was the truth.

And honestly, the only things waiting for me back home were an empty apartment. Most of my friends were scattered to the ends of the earth, and those who were still in the city, I rarely saw anymore. As far as family went, both my parents had died before I'd even finished my freshman year at the university, and I was an only child just as both my parents had been. No aunts or uncles, no cousins.

I was alone.

"I did not think so," Quinn said with a comforting smile, "I have been watching you for a long time, Rachel. You are strong and wise. You refuse to give up. I have seen you chase your dreams, and I have seen you crawl out of the depths of despair after your parents died and become stronger. My heart has ached for you, my love, and I couldn't wait another minutes to join you with me. You will instill good qualities in our children."

"Our children," I repeated dully. "You have been watching me? For how long?"

"Since you were a child," she answered like it was no big deal. "I have been drawn to you for some reason."

I shook my head, trying to process all this new information. "I… I don't know what to think or feel anymore."

Quinn cupped my cheeks and stared deeply into my eyes. "You are my wife, Rachel. And I promise to always take care of you."

I sighed and leaned back against her chest. "So… what happens now?"

"Now," she said, her smile blindingly bright. "we make love."

~~~~~QR~~~~~