A/N: I know I'm the worst! So sorry it took me this long. Hopefully I'll be able to update sooner than this took me! Sorry if this sucks, btw! I had majors writer's block and then life happened. And I'm sorry! Also, sorry if this is kinda all over the place. I wanted to write some faberry interaction and also some more charlie and quinn cause they are just so cute. Anyway, I hope you like it. Enjoy! :)


A knock on the door startled Quinn as she bolted up from her nap on her bed. Looking around it took her a moment to remember where she was and what day it was. She ran her hands over her face, sat up and called out. "Yeah, come in."

The door opened and Charlie stood in the doorway. He offered her a small smile before saying, "There's someone at the door for you, Quinn."

Standing up from the bed, Quinn asked, "Who is it?"

Charlie just smiled at her and walked out of the room, Quinn following behind him.

Reaching the bottom step of the staircase, she saw Rachel standing there with her tee shirt folded up in her hands, and in another one of her animal sweaters. Matt gave the girls a smile before returning to his home office. "Hey," Rachel said. She then held out the shirt for the girl to take. "I just wanted to say thanks again for letting me borrow it for the day. It was a real life saver. Anyway, it's freshly washed." Quinn took a step forward and took the shirt from the brunette.

"Glad it worked out for you." Quinn smiled.

Rachel returned the smile as they stood in silence in the foyer. The silence grew and awkwardness grew with each passing second before Rachel couldn't take it anymore. "I was also wondering if you'd like to join me for lunch again tomorrow. I really enjoyed talking with you, Quinn. And as you've probably noticed: I don't have many friends. But I don't want to pressure you to hang out with me if you don't want to. I understand if you don't want to. I know I'm a bit weird and talk too much for my own good. But I'd really like to get to know you, Quinn. I think you're smart and the prettiest girl I've ever met. And now I'm rambling."

Quinn watched the girl with an amused smile. "Sure, Rachel, I'd love to spend lunch with you again tomorrow. Auditorium?"

"Actually depending on the weather, I was hoping we could go eat out on the bleachers?"

"Whatever you want, Rach." As the nickname rolled off her tongue, Rachel broke out into an even bigger smile. "What?"

Shaking her head, Rachel brought her smile down a notch. "Nothing. It's just, nobody aside from my dads and the Roberts have ever called me 'Rach'. It's just nice to hear someone else call me that."

"Well get used to it, Rach. Cause I give all my friends nicknames."

"We're friends?" Rachel asked a hopeful glint in her eyes.

"Well, yeah. Aren't we?"

Before Quinn could say anything else, Rachel launched herself into Quinn's arms. A couple seconds passed before Quinn sighed into the hug. She didn't know what it was, but the feeling of having the smaller girl in her arms made her heart swell. Then just as quick as it happened, Rachel was out of the girl's embrace. Quinn was still swooning when Rachel broke the hug and stood before her once again.

Looking up, Rachel brushed a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. "Sorry about that. I tend to let my emotions get the better of me and sometimes I forget most people don't like being hugged by those they've just met."

"It's alright, Rachel." Quinn didn't bring up the fact that when she hugged her it brought up butterflies in her stomach, or that no one has really hugged her since before—

"Anyway, I should probably be going home. I still have homework."

Quinn tried to not let the disappoint show on her face at Rachel's words. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." With one last shared smile, Rachel left the house and crossed the short distance to her own house, leaving Quinn wondering about the short brunette, who managed to enter her life with such force.

Quinn was just turning around when she saw Charlie standing there by the living room entryway. His bright blue eyes were wide as he stared at her. Quinn furrowed her eyes as she looked at the small boy, wondering what could be going on in that head of his. Then she saw his usually shiny, happy eyes begin to tear up and she knew what he'd be staring at. Her heart clenched at the thought of him finding out about what was beneath her shirt on her back. She cursed herself for not thinking to put on a shirt when she got home. She knew the scars ran to the edges of her shoulders, and from under the tank top she knew people saw. But she didn't care what the kids at school thought when they saw them, just Rachel. But Rachel knew not to ask about them now.

Now Charlie was standing there looking horrified. Quinn knew what she had to do, so she took the boy's hand and led them up the stairs to her room. Entering the room, she softly closed the door behind her and led them over to the bed where they both, feet dangling off the edge. Scratching her left eyebrow she looked down at their shoes and was about to say something to explain them when she was interrupted.

"Do they hurt?" She turned to face him and was met with wide, worried eyes that continued to break her heart.

She shook her head. "Not anymore," she replied, keeping her voice gentle.

"Did someone hurt you?"

Taking a deep breath, Quinn took his hand into her's and said, "Some people aren't good in this world, Charlie. Some want to protect, and other's want to hurt. And someone did hurt me."

His bottom lip trembled and his eyes began to water yet again. "But you're perfect. Why would somebody want to hurt you?"

She gave him a soft smile. "I don't know. The person who hurt me, were hurt themselves I think. They just didn't know how to handle themselves."

"Are you going to hurt me because you were hurt?" He looked down at their conjoined hands. Charlie noticed how soft her hands were and looking closer, he saw faint white lines on the back of her hands

Quinn's heart shattered at his question. She couldn't even fathom the thought of hurting anybody, especially not Charlie. He was just a sweet seven year old, who had too much love to share. The mention of anyone wanting to hurt him made her fists clench. Quinn gently caressed his cheek with her left hand, while her right was still holding his hand tightly. She then stared him in the eyes through her own teary eyes. "How could you even think that I'd want to hurt you? I'd never hurt you. I promise. I'm one of those people who want to protect, Char. And you're my little brother now, aren't cha? And what are big sisters supposed to do? They protect. Don't they?"

He nodded.

"So I'm going to protect you, until the day I die, alright? No matter what happens, you've got me always. Deal?"

Again he nodded.

"Good. Now can I have a Charlie hug?" She asked as she opened her arms.

Charlie threw his arms around her neck and hugged her as tight as he could, which Quinn immediately returned. She then felt the hot tears on her neck and smiled weakly as he cried silently in her arms. "I'm sorry you got hurt," he whispered. "If I'd have been there I would've stopped them."

Smiling at the boy, she whispered back in his ear, "I know you would've."

Breaking the hug, Charlie wiped at his face and then shyly looked up at her. "I have another question…. Can I play my Gameboy in here while you work on your homework?"

Laughing, Quinn ruffled his blond locks and smiled through her tears. "Of course you can kiddo."

The sound of Charlie's Pokémon game rang throughout the room as soon as they all had dinner. Charlie laid against her headboard as he played while the blonde worked on her math. Quinn would occasionally hum along to the catchy tunes, or she'd take a break from her homework just to watch him try and defeat another gym leader.

It was close to ten o'clock when she was finished catching up on all of her assignments. Getting up she stretched and grinned when she saw the seven year old, passed out on her pillows. Quinn packed up her books and papers to place on her desk before she placed a kiss to the young boy's head. "Yes. I will protect you from all the evils of the world," she whispered. She then ventured off to go find Matt so he could carry the growing boy to his room.


A/N: thoughts? Review! :)