Moore Info: thank you all for the support. You guys have been really great with this one.
Pardon any errors.
Chapter Three
Quinn was discharged from the hospital a few hours after Shannon visited her in order to propose her deal.
Once they left, Quinn had given Beiste directions to the abandoned gas station, in which she had been living in for the past two weeks, that was a few miles outside of Lima. She had gathered her trash bag of clothes and her ukulele, that had been next to a pee stained mattress she had found next to a dumpster, and put them in the trunk of the coaches car, all the while trying to ignore how red her cheeks were from embarrassment.
Beiste then drove them back to her house, which was located in Lima's more wealthy neighborhood - Lima Heights Adjacent. Quinn's eyes had immediately bugged at seeing the house she'd now be living in for all of her Senior year. The house was easily worth over 750 thousand dollars.
Shannon had allowed Quinn to choose from one of the three guest rooms that were on the second floor to make her own. Beiste had been adamant that she'd decorate the room however she'd like, which had Quinn feeling a little emotional, not that she'd ever admit it. The teen had never been able to decorate her ownroom since leaving her first foster home those years ago. Heck, she rarely ever had her own room.
The blonde chose the room that was separate from the other two guest rooms. It had its own bathroom, while the other two shared one. It was also closest to the media room that had comfortable theater seats, and the biggest flat screen she had ever seen.
Quinn has been living with Beiste for a little over a week, and so far, it hasn't been too bad. Quinn was still getting used to living with someone once again after being homeless for a little over two years. The first couple of days they had mostly stayed to themselves, especially with the concussion Quinn still had at the time. However, when it had gotten better, they began to work on improving the blonde's knowledge in football.
Shannon had taught her the basics before they started going outside to run a few simple routes and to toss the football around. From doing this, Beiste quickly determined that the best position for Quinn to fill would most likely be halfback - maybe even quarterback from how natural she was able to throw the football. But she'd be more sure once training started on the first Monday of the last week of August, just one week before school started. They had twenty-seven days to get Quinn ready enough for training.
Not as much time as Beiste would have liked, but Quinn had the innate ability to pick up everything she taught her relatively quickly, so she want too worried. She just wanted to make sure the blonde was ready enough to take on the boys who'd be returning for the new session. Not all of them would take too kindly to a girl being on the same team as them. She knew this from experience from when she herself played for her high school's team.
She wanted to make sure that Quinn improved on her natural skills, so that she'd be able to show the boys that she deserved to be on the team just as much as they did. If that was accomplished, then it would make the new session much easier and much more fun for everybody.
During that weekend, Shannon had also been working on keeping her end of their deal. She spent most of the week making all the appropriate arraignments to have Beth transferred from Columbus to Lima, where she'd be staying with them. Fortunately, it had all been handled surprisingly fast - Beth's social worker had already been looking for a new home for the three year old, as the one she currently lived in was too crowded.
Beth's social worker, who had visited Beiste's home just two days previously in order to make sure her home was suitable, would be driving Beth from Columbus just that day - another check worked off the list, right after Quinn's registering for the new year at McKinley.
However, currently, the blonde teen was more than a little irritated that she won't be able to stay and wait for Beth to arrive back at Shannon's house, because today was her first day of being the Berry's slave. The whole drive over, Quinn had silently sulked in the passenger seat, however, it did nothing to change the coach's mind. She had previously set the date with the Berry's before anything concrete had been arranged with Beth's social worker. There was no backing out.
"Just think of this as incentive to get things done quickly. As soon as you're finished at the Berry's for the day, you'll be able to come back home and wait up for Beth. And hey, she may even be there already when you get back." Shannon reasoned with the blonde, who was dressed appropriately for the upcoming manual labour she'd be doing. She was dressed in black basketball shorts, a dark gray muscle shirt, and worn sneakers.
"I was even thinking we could all go out to get something to eat after Beth comes - celebrate, you know?" Beiste continued. "There's this restaurant called Breadstix that I've been meaning to try. It'll be fun."
"Sure, cool," Quinn mumbled. She really didn't care, as long Beth was there in the flesh, she'd be fine.
Shannon parked the car by the curb outside a moderately sized, two story house that had a large tree out front that provided the house with wonderful shade. Quinn stared at the high grass that was the front lawn with daunting eyes. It was as if they deliberately kept their lawn uncut for months just for her, as well as kept the bushes untrimmed, and the many weeds that infested the place, untouched.
This lawn did not look like it belonged to two gay men. Didn't they all watch HGTV or something? Quinn had her work cut out for her - no pun intended.
"Here we are - the Berry's." Shannon announced. "Now, the Berry men said they'd be at work, but their daughter, Rachel, whom you stole from, should be in there. Go on and ring the bell."
With a sigh of dread, Quinn got out of the car and cut across the shameful lawn and to the front door. She rang the doorbell. As she did, she could hear the sound of barking coming from inside. One of them had Quinn reluctant to meet it. It sounded deep and menacing to her ears. A couple of minutes later, the door cracked open. One suspicious eye peeked out from between the crack and at Quinn.
"Um, hey. I'm here to to, uh, mow your shitty lawn and stuff." A few beats flowed after her words. "Look, if you could just tell me where you keep the mower and stuff, I can get started. I got shit to do."
"The door opened fully, allowing Quinn to see the small, yet attractive brunette behind it. She was wearing a sweater with an owl on the front, and a short skirt that displayed her blessed, and impossibly long, legs. In her right hand was a metal baseball bat. Quinn eyed it with a raised brow before looking back at Rachel.
"Everything you may need is in the back, criminal." The girl spoke with a raised chin as she put on a brave face, despite how sweaty her palm was as she nervously gripped the bat in her hand with white knuckles. "I will release the dogs to you once you've finished the front and back yard, and the pool. They need to be walked before you bathe them in the inflatable pool you will find in the shed, along with the appropriate cleaning products. You may not, in any way, shape, or form, enter this house." The small brunette ran down.
"What if I need to piss?" Quinn asked with a glare.
"I'm sure there's a perfectly acceptable bush in the back you can use to relieve yourself."
Quinn scoffed in amused disbelief. "Are you freaking serious?"
"Quite - you won't be stealing any of my Barbra paraphernalia, not if I have anything to say about it. You enter this house and I'll be forced to beat you with this bat." The brunette backed her statement up by waving the potential weapon in the blonde's face. "You've been warned."
"Fine, whatever. Your wish is my command, Miss Arrietty Clock." Quinn said sarcastically with a low bow and a sweep of her hand. Quinn snorted when she stood upright once again to see the glare the brunette was giving her. She then left the other girl to go around the house and to the back yard where the shed was.
Rachel closed the front door with a huff before letting the dogs from out the bathroom. She had put them in there so they wouldn't ruin her surprise for the blonde by running to the front door when she opened it. She then went upstairs and into her room where she grabbed her laptop to bring downstairs. She'd be able to keep an eye on the blonde by sneakily taking glances through the window blinds. After settling on the living rooms couch, she opened her laptop and did a quick internet search on who this 'Arrietty Clock' was that the tall thief had facetiously called her.
She promptly scowled at the results. She was far from four inches tall! How dare she!
...
It took Quinn three hours to mow both the front and back lawn, as well as trim the bushes and pull all those fucking weeds with angry curses aimed towards the Berry's with each yank. Her hands were raw from pulling so many without protective gloves. After putting the lawn clippings and pulled weeds away in its designated bin, she put the mower back in the shed before getting out the pool net, and that vacuum thingy that roamed the bottom of the pool.
At this point, the back of her muscle shirt displayed the dark patch of sweat that she had acquired while working under the unrelenting sun, which had her wishing she still had a concussion. Maybe then she wouldn't have to do this shit.
While cleaning the pool, the urge to pee finally called upon her. She threw the pool net to the ground before going over to one of the newly trimmed bushes in order to 'relieve herself', her back to the glass, sliding door that led into the Berry's kitchen. As she did her business, she did not notice the pair of wide, chocolate eyes that watched her as she finished up with a couple of shakes of her member.
When the pool was rid of leaves and the occasional insect, Quinn put the cleaning products and pool net back in the shed before going to bang on the sliding door with a heavy sigh.
"Yo, Etty! Bring on the dogs so I can fucking bounce!" She shouted out as she continued to bang on the glass door until Rachel came into view with a scowl on her face, and two dogs trotting after her. One was a Chihuahua, which she could handle, with large, black spots all over its white fur. The other dog was what had Quinn's eyes bugging. She had no doubt that this was the dog she had been reluctant to meet after hearing its bark.
It was a Great Dane.
Why the fuck did they feel the need to get this horse of a dog? The thing barked like a grown man! How the hell did they expect her to walk and bathe it? It would probably end up walking her and leave her drenched by the end of its bath.
Rachel slid the door open and the dogs promptly charged at her with viscously wagging tails. The Chihuahua repeatedly jumped off her legs like it was doing some kind of puppy, parkour moves, and the Great Dane jumped on her torso, placing its paws on either side of the blonde's shoulder as if to give her a hug. It immediately licked at her face as Quinn attempted to steady her footing under the dogs sudden weight, much to Rachel's amusement. A grimace was on her face as she tried to evade the massive wet tongue that attempted to initiate a make out session with the blonde human.
When Quinn was finally able to push the dog off her, she immediately lifted the bottom of her muscles shirt to wipe at her drenched face, ignorant of the flustered look and the hard gulp that Rachel swallowed in reaction to seeing her sweat glistening abs.
The Chihuahua continued to jump on Quinn with its tail wagging in excitement while the Great Dane felt the need to sniff at her crotch with its probing, and curious nose. Quinn quickly put a stop to that.
"You would have a freaking Great Dane." Quinn said.
"Bought him especially for you." Rachel said with a wide, smug smile.
"Are you freaking kidding me!?" The thief exclaimed.
"I kid you not." She replied, sealing her lie.
While she had just gotten the dog just a few days ago, she and her father had always wanted one. They had already planned on rescuing one just a few weeks ago. It was why she had been at the mall that day. Besides getting a few new outfits for the new school year, she had been there to get a few products in anticipation for the Great Dane.
After her purse had been stolen and the deal had been made with the new football coach, the eagerness to get the dog intensified. She wanted to make things that much harder for the blonde who had dared to try and steal her Funny Girl, limited addition, hand bag. She had not yet bathed the large dog, but she had walked him - it had been quite the challenge as the dog had practically drug her down the street at one point in order to chase after a squirrel. She had skinned hands and knees to prove it.
"The little one is named Milk Man, however she is affectionately known as Moo Moo, and the Great Dane is named Schwarzenegger." Rachel introduced. Quinn wasn't going to lie, she thought their names were awesome, and weirdly appropriate. "Here are their leashes." Rachel held out a purple and green leash to the blonde. Their hands brushed briefly during the exchanged, causing both of them to experience a shiver that ran down their spines, and spread to all four of their limbs, leaving a tingling sensation behind in its wake. They both ignored it.
Quinn clipped the purple one to Milk Man, who nipped at her hand, and then the green one to Schwarzenegger. "Have fun," Rachel told the blonde, her voice giddy, before turning to leave.
"Wait!" Quinn stopped her. Rachel turned to face her once more with an impatient huff and crossed arms. "I can have some water or something? I'm thirsty." Rachel did not reply. She just turned back around and went further into the kitchen and to the refrigerator where she got the blonde a large, cold bottle of water. She promptly tossed the bottle at Quinn upon her return, not wanting to experience those unexplainable shivers and tingles once again. She then slid the door back in place.
"Have fun," she repeated through the glass door before moving out if view. The blonde flipped the bird to the girl's back during her whole retreat.
Quinn drank half of the large bottle in just a few, hard gulps before feeding some to the begging Chihuahua and Great Dane. She then began their walk that turned out to be surprisingly easy. Yeah Schwarzenegger tried to take off more than once with great force, but with a few commanding pulls back with an equally commanding scold, Quinn was able to get him back under control.
When they returned back to the Berry house after both dogs shat on some randoms lawn - in which Quinn didn't even bother to pick up - there was a dirty and beat up red pick up truck parked in the driveway. The only logical clue she could could come up with as to who the truck belonged to, was one of Etty's fathers, but the truck was not exactly something she'd expect them to drive.
Quinn brought the dogs back into the backyard and let them run around as she inflated the kiddie pool she had found in the shed. Once that was done, she filled it with the water from the hose. She then began to bathe Milk Man, who did everything in her power to evade her clutches while looking like a shivering, drowned rat.
Just as she was about to bathe Schwarzenegger after drying off Milk man, Quinn took notice of the fact that Rachel was watching her in anticipation from behind the glass door, along with a giant boy who wore a red and gold letterman. His lips moved as he asked Etty something while pointing straight at Quinn. The brunette nodded at whatever he said, which immediately had him glaring at the blonde.
Quinn got Schwarzenegger into the kiddie pool where he was, once again, surprisingly compliant. In fact, he seemed to love it when Quinn gave him his massage like bath, awarding her with periodic licks to her face as time went on, much to Rachel's immense disappointment. By the time Quinn was done, Rachel and her male friend were no longer watching her.
Quinn dumped the used water out onto the newly cut grass before deflating it and putting it back in the shed, along with the doggy shampoo. She the went to the sliding door to let the dogs inside the house, however, not before giving them a affectionate rub. She slid the door behind them just as Rachel came into view, metal bat in hand, after seeing the pleasant smelling dogs enter the living room. A hard glare was on her face.
"See you the day after tomorrow, Etty!" Quinn said through the glass and to the miffed brunette with a wiggle of her fingers. She then quickly left the backyard before the girl tried to give her another task, like: hand feeding her grapes while fanning her by the newly cleaned pool.
...
Quinn was sitting on he curb in front of the Berry house, waiting for Shannon to come and pick her up, after calling the woman on the new phone she had bought her. It had taken a lot of convincing on Beiste's part to get Quinn to accept it, but she had eventually succeeded.
The woman wouldn't tell her if Beth had arrived or not when she had asked, but the lack of answer was a big hint. She couldn't wait to wrap her arms around her daughter once again after many months of being apart.
She hoped the young child remembered who she at least was. It would sadden her if she didn't, but be completely understandable. It has been almost six months since she last saw Beth. The girl did not know her as her mother, but she did know her. Without that special title, Quinn wasn't positively sure Beth would remember her, despite her hope.
She was brought out of her thoughts when a voice called out to her from behind her in a commanding tone of voice. "Hey!" Quinn ignored the boy with a roll of her eyes. "You hear me?" She continued to ignore him. "I'm talking to you, bitch!" The boy said as he now stood in front of the blonde, trying to make himself look intimidating by using his height to tower over the sitting girl, who just leaned back on her hands with amusement in her eyes.
"Oh, were you? I thought you might have been talking to Fi, Fy, Pho, and Thum." Quinn said with a feigned, apologetic look. "How's life up top the beanstalk anyways? Cook any golden eggs lately?" Quinn snickered at his red face.
"Shut up, bitch! I know you tried to steal my girlfriend's purse. I'm warning you - keep away from her." He demanded. This dude was really Etty's boyfriend? She felt sorry for her.
"Kind of hard to do when I'll be coming over here every other weekday until school starts." Quinn shrugged.
"Whatever, just leave her alone or else you'll have me to deal with. I'm the captain of the football team. That means I can make your life pure hell at school." He threatened. "Got it?" Amused eyes continued to stare up at him. He was the captain of the football team too? Quinn hoped she took his spot as captain and whatever position he played on the team.
"Yeah, sure, big boy. Now leave me alone. Your fat ass head is eclipsing the sun and messing with my tan." She told him before letting out a chuckle as an image popped into her mind, thanks to the face the guy was giving her.
"Woah, man, did anyone ever tell you that you greatly resemble the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters?" She laughed out. "Damn, when's your birthday so I can buy you a sailor's uniform. You know, to complete your whole image." At this point, Marshmallow Man's entire face was flushed red as he seethed. Quinn just continued to stare up at him with twinkling eyes of joy.
She rose a brow. "Not gonna tell me, are you? Alright, I can guess: January, February, March, April, May, June-"
"Just shut the fuck up!" He yelled.
"June. It's June isn't it? Well, damn, I missed it. Don't worry though, Halloween isn't too far off. I can get it for you then. Really, it'd be no problem at all. What size are you? 'Too fucking large'? I might have to shop at Goodwill for it if that's the case, but I'm sure it won't smell like shit or have any cum stains - unless that's what you're into. I don't judge. Everyone has their quirks. Like me for example - I sometimes like to-"
That was when Marshmallow Man snapped and tried to punch the sitting blonde in the face with a swing of his fist. However, Quinn's reflexes had her immediately rolling out of the way. Although, that did not stop Marshmallow Man's momentum. He quickly found himself crashing to the ground. Quinn let out a happy laugh at his expense.
"Woah, buddy! You alright there?" Quinn asked with a laugh. "Of course you are. I'm sure you've fallen from a much greater height when Jack kicked your giant ass out of the beanstalk, am I right?"
Finn hastily stood once more and took an embarrassed glance around to see if anyone but Quinn witnessed what happened. His face, and now his neck, were deeply flushed. When there was no one, Finn straightened his letterman, with the little dignity he had left, to the sounds of Quinn's never ending cackles.
"You better watch your back." He hissed out before stomping over to his truck.
"Nice truck by the way, big boy. Very Twilight." Quinn called after him, earning her the middle finger. Quinn laughed as he sped out of the driveway and down the street. If this was how it was going to be while attending McKinley, Quinn didn't think she'd mind too much. It was so much fun!
Not too long after Marshmallow Man's truck disappeared around the corner, Shannon's car pulled up from the opposite direction. Quinn quickly forgot about the boy as her heart sped up. She was much closer to seeing her daughter after six months.
She really hoped Beth remembered her.
Moore info: So what did you guys think? Love it? Hate it? Meh? Let me know in a review.
I know the whole Social work thing is unrealistic (it would prob take months in RL instead just a week for Beth to move in with them) but it works with the story.
Next Chapter: Beth? Or nah?