Day 4: Four Wooly Bears

Hey Rach. What are you up to today? Want to grab some lunch and go for a walk? –Q

Excellent idea Q. I needed a way to give you your fourth day gifts anyway. I'll meet you in 20. -R

Quinn giggled as she read Rachel speedy reply in her "I'm Rachel Berry and I'm adorable as a kitten" voice she had perfected after months of texting. She rummaged through her closet to find the perfect winter. She wanted to look warm and cozy yet undeniably cute for Rachel. If the girl was going to go out of her way to give Quinn the best Christmas ever she could at least look like the best girlfriend ever. After ten minutes of internal debate Quinn finally settled on a deep green sweater with a white and dark green striped skirt with matching hunter green knee high boots. She brushed her short hair out and tousled it softly with her fingers. After a few coats of mascara and a bit of rosy lip gloss she was grabbing her scarf and heading down the stairs.

"Hey Mom. I'm going out to lunch with Rach then we're going to go for a walk. I'll be back for dinner. Do you think you could make some soup for tonight?" Quinn spoke as she put her coat on by the door.

"Sure thing Quinnie but can you come in here for a minute first." Judy replied from the living room.

"Yea sure, what do you- Rachel? How'd you get in? I didn't even hear the doorbell." Quinn gasped when she saw Rachel sitting on her couch already sipping a cup of tea with her mother.

"When I got here Judy was outside clearing the snow off the steps which I should yell at you for Quinn. It's not right to make your poor mother go out there in the cold when you are perfectly capable of shoveling a few inches of snow." Rachel scolded.

"It's snowing? A few inches? What are you going on about?" Quinn quirked her eyebrow at the brunette then opened the door to see a sparkling heap of frozen stress stuck to her driveway with a foggy white sheet covering the rest of her field of view. Rachel crept up behind Quinn, encircling her in a warm embrace while shutting the door with her foot.

"Told you it was snowing. Your mom won't let us go out there so she made us some tea and there's apple pie in the oven. We already started the base for potato and bean soup too." She informed the saddened blonde. "Let's just spend the day watching movies and cuddling in front of the fire Q. It'll be just as fun!"

"How in the world did you get all that done already? Fifteen minutes ago you told me you'd be here in twenty." Quinn asked as the pair entered the kitchen to pour more tea.

"When you texted me I was already on my way out the door but it was cold so I ran here. It only took a few minutes and Judy had the pie started before I even showed up so it was really just the soup I helped her with. I hope you don't mind but I think I'm going to be staying over if the snow doesn't clear up. It's just too cold for me and I know my dad's won't care. They haven't said anything about my birthday tomorrow. I don't know what's up with them lately. They barely even talk to me." Rachel pouted a bit as she spoke. It was highly unusual for Hiram and Leroy to go even one hour without checking in on their daughter but they haven't even said good morning to her since Wednesday. Quinn had to bite her lip to keep from spilling the details. The Berry men had been planning a surprise party for Rachel's eighteenth birthday but they knew that if they had even said one word to their daughter they would have been gushing about all the surprises they had in store for her.

"Don't worry about it babe. I'm sure they've just been a bit stressed since your birthday, Hanukkah and Christmas all fall around the same time. That's a lot of work for just two men, especially when they need to please someone like you." Quinn teased.

"I resent that Q. This is their eighteenth year of making sure three very important holidays run smoothly. I don't see why it would be any different than those."

"Maybe because up until now they didn't have me to compete with for who you'd rather spend time with." Quinn joked again. She couldn't help but giggle at Rachel as she furrowed her brows in frustration then smiled at her girlfriend.

"Well, I suppose that is true. You are pretty tough competition Q. Especially with the help of your mom's cooking." Rachel breathed deeply then shouted, "This pie smells divine Judy!"

"Thank you Rachel. It's an old recipe my grandmother taught me. I hope you enjoy it. It should be just about done now." Judy replied as she walked into the kitchen to check on the dessert. "Why don't you girls head inside for a bit while I finish up in here. I thought maybe we could have pie and watch the newest movie from the Netflix queue together. I don't get to hang out with you two girls enough."

"Sure thing Mom. Just call us when you're ready." Quinn said as she grabbed Rachel's arm and dragged her gently to the living room. "So you're going to be here all night. That means I get to be with you the minute you turn eighteen. Well that makes my gift to you a whole lot easier to give."

"Quinn! You better not be planning anything vulgar! We've already talked about that. I refuse to succumb to something 'planned.' Love is a spur of the moment thing and that's it!" Rachel crossed her arms and huffed.

"Of course not Rach. I know better than to try and put a schedule on your or my libido since it can kick in at any minute, especially for me. And especially right now." Quinn smirked at the brunette only to be met with a playful slap on the arm.

"Lucy Quinn Fabray!"

"Uh-oh! You used my full name. Am I in trouble now?" She cooed in a childish voice.

"Yes, yes you are. Maybe I shouldn't give you your next gift now since you're being so rude."

"No! I want my presents! Please Rach?" Quinn pouted and held her hands to her face in a prayer position, sarcastically begging for forgiveness.

"Well, if you ask me like that than there's no way I can resist. You know my weaknesses." Rachel jumped up from the floor in front of the fireplace and grabbed the bag she had brought Quinn's gift in. "Here you go. This one may not make as much sense but it was all I could think of."

Quinn tore into the bag sending tissue paper flying everywhere. When she reached the bottom of the bag she pulled out four small, hand knitted, stuffed bears.

"These are so adorable Rachel! Thank you so much! I'll put them up with my porcelain dolls for all to see. But what was the part of the song to go with this?" Quinn admired the tiny toys, turning each one over and over to examine the fine stitching.

"Well, for the fourth day the song says that their lover gave them four wooly bears but I didn't think you would appreciate four caterpillars very much so I got you four bears made of wool instead. Well, synthetic wool." Rachel watched as Quinn fawned over the tiny toys. She couldn't get over how cute she looked with childlike glint of wonder in her eyes. "Q?"

"Yea, Rach?" Quinn looked up momentarily to find her girlfriend staring at her adoringly.

"I love you. So much."

Quinn smiled and placed the bears back in the bag. She pulled Rachel into her arms. "I love you, too, Rachel. Even more."