Okay, so it looks like people want this to continue. Hopefully this is up to par with the last chapter.
I still don't own Glee. Things would be crazy if I did.
No matter what happened, Judy always tried her best to keep her promises. When her daughters asked for something for Christmas or their birthdays, she'd get what they wanted or as close to it as she could. If she offered to help out at the next church fundraiser, she'd show up even if she was sick. If her daughter asked her to not mess up her second chance at being a good mother, she'd do everything she could to stay in her good graces.
Quinn moved out of the Joneses' that day. She returned home with the same bag she'd left with, nothing more and nothing less than what she'd had after her half hour to pack was up. "Well…welcome home," Judy said as they walked into the house. "Nothing's really changed since you left. Your father put a lock on your door, but I know where the key is, so that's fine." She felt the instinctive plastic smile on her face and dropped it. "How are you?"
Her daughter was staring at the foyer like she'd never seen it before. It took her a moment to realize Judy had spoken. "Sorry?"
"Are you all right?"
Quinn nodded. "Yeah. I'm…" She trailed off, still looking around. "I'm home," she whispered.
Her mom unlocked the door to her room. When she opened the door, Quinn was overwhelmed by the familiarity of the place. "Can I have a minute?" she asked softly. "Alone?"
Judy hesitated before nodding. "As long as you need."
"Thanks." Quinn stepped into her bedroom for the first time in months. It looked the same as it had when she left it, only with a layer of dust coating everything. When Dad wanted something left alone, it was left alone.
There was her bed, carefully made up by the cleaning staff. There was her dresser, there was her grandmother's jewelry box. There were her Diana Ross and the Supremes CDs. There was the dress she was supposed to wear to the Chastity Ball. Everything was in its place.
Just a few weeks ago, this sight would've brought her to tears. But the pregnancy hormones were gone, and tough-as-nails Quinn Fabray, head Cheerio, had returned. She allowed herself a half-smile before running a finger along her nightstand and inspecting it critically. Oh, that had to be at least an inch of dust. Quinn picked up an old blanket, shook it out, and began dusting.
Judy knocked on the door lightly an hour later. "Quinn? I had Marisela make grilled cheese the way you like it…"
"Come in."
She came in to see her daughter steadfastly cleaning the dust from her room. "Oh, sweetie, you don't have to do that. The maid can-"
Quinn looked at her. "But I want to."
Judy stared. "Why?"
"I've…" She looked at the blanket in her hands. "I tried to pull my own weight when I stayed with Puck and Mercedes. Mrs. Jones always told me not to, but I just felt so useless, sitting around. Besides, when I go off to college, I'm not going to have a maid to clean my room for me."
The Fabrays hadn't lifted a finger to do housework in years. It had become a completely foreign concept. Judy set the plate down on a desk that had already been cleaned. "Could I help?"
Quinn nodded and grabbed another blanket. They got to work.
When most of the room was done, they sat on the floor and split the grilled cheese and talked. To a mother and daughter who'd almost never had a real conversation, it was wonderful. "So they were going at it in your room?" Quinn asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.
Judy nodded. "It was terrible. And you should've seen her- hand to God, she had so many tattoos I could barely see her skin."
Quinn broke down laughing. "Dad? With a woman like that?"
"And a nose piercing!" Despite the horror she'd felt at the time, Judy couldn't help but giggle. "She was the same sort of woman he always called a sinner, and he was- they-" She laughed with her daughter, long and loud.
It seemed like things were getting better.
If it looks like their problem is being resolved too quickly, trust me, it won't stay this happy. They still have issues to work out.