She walked towards the Berry's front door just willing herself to run back to her car and drive away, the draw she was feeling towards the girl scared her.
Before she could stop herself her finger pushed the doorbell and she heard a chime inside, run Fabray use your legs! Her mind screamed at her.
"Coming" a male voice called.
She hurriedly smoothed out a crease in her dress and ran a hand through her hair that was loosely cascading around her shoulders.
The door opened and she froze, breathe!
"Hi" she squeaked, she cleared her voice. "I mean, good evening sir. Is Rachel here?"
The tall black man chuckled slightly before ushering her inside closing the door.
"Rachel honey" he called up the stairs, "there's a nervous but stunning blonde here for you"
He winked and wandered to the kitchen leaving said blonde at the foot of the stairs.
She froze again at the sight of Rachel's bare legs rushing down the stairs in the shortest pair of shorts she'd ever seen, not even Santana's hotpants beat those things.
"Quinn" the brunette greeted sounding surprised but a smile overtook her face all the same.
"I'm sorry for showing up unannounced, I wasn't going to come over I was just going to text you but my car had other plans" she giggled slightly nervously.
"And may I ask who this beauty is and why we haven't previously been introduced?" a small man on the thinner side asked with a smile as he exited the kitchen with what was obviously his husband.
"Dad, Daddy. This is Quinn. Quinn, these are my fathers, David and Jonathan"
"It's nice to finally meet you two, I hope you pardon my intrusion" she greeted politely as she shook hands with both men.
"It's not a problem at all, Quinn. Wait, Quinn. Quinn Fabray by any chance?" Jonathan asked slightly cautiously.
Crap. Well, Fabray, time to apologize to them too.
She sighed. "Unfortunately yes. I don't deserve you being welcoming and if you want me to leave and not come back I'll respect that wish, but I'd first like to apologize for making your daughter unhappy in the past. I was a different person then and Glee club has really helped me turn my life around, I no longer use taunts and bullying to hide my own insecurities. I want to prove that to both yourselves and your daughter. We're starting over anew and I'm going to work for Rachel's and now your forgiveness"
Both men looked at each other clearly impressed by Quinn's respect, slowly they began to smile.
"Thank you, Quinn" they thanked and she released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
"I told you guys, Quinn and I are paired together for our Glee assignment. And she's helping plan a birthday party for both myself and Brittany, she's the tall dancer you were in awe of at our last performance" Rachel smiled and let her eyes thank Quinn silently.
"You're certainly welcome here anytime sweetheart" David smiled, "now before you ladies go running off upstairs, Quinn would you like to stay for dinner? Don't worry, we're ordering takeout"
Jonathan slapped his husband's arm playfully at the subtle taunt at his lack of cooking skills, Quinn chuckled.
"That would be lovely, thank you"
The girls went upstairs and Quinn was taken a back by Rachel's room, it was just so..well, Rachel.
"Nice stars" she said looking up at the ceiling before closing her eyes, "I said that out loud didn't I?"
Rachel laughed and settled back on her bed, "yes you did but I know you're not mocking me"
"Sure about that?" Quinn teased as she gently sat on the edge of the bed.
"We're having a party planning session tomorrow"
Rachel merely nodded her head, Quinn eyed her strangely before realizing the hesitation.
"That was me inviting you, Rachel"
Rachel's smile lit up the room. "Really? Cool. Sorry I just didn't want to assume I was invited, I know it's a joint party but really it'll mostly be Brittany's as I know she has a great deal more friends than I do. And Santana, well, she's Santana and doesn't like me very much"
Quinn chuckled. "You have to know her properly to understand her, she knows she's a bitch but she did genuinely mean what she said to you the other day. She hides behind her insults a lot, she likes you more than she lets on, trust me. In fact, you're probably going to find this hard to believe but it was actually her suggestion for you to join us tomorrow"
Rachel looked positively perplexed. "You're right, that information is very shocking" "But I appreciate that I've been thought of and it should be fun hanging out with the three of you"
It will be fun, even more fun if we end up swimming and I get to see you in a bathing suit.
Quinn took a gulp trying to shake the mental image of Rachel in a bikini far from her mind.
"It will be fun; Brittany will probably hug you to death though just to warn you"
"Thank you for the pre-warning, she is a very sweet girl and very affectionate"
The blonde smiled, "you babble a lot when I'm around you you know"
"Sorry, I just get nervous when I've actually got your attention I guess" Rachel apologized shyly hiding behind her hair.
Not knowing what possessed her to do it she pushed the girl's hair away from her face.
"I didn't say it was a bad thing, it's actually rather endearing" Quinn said nudging her playfully.
"So, do I need to bring anything with me tomorrow?" the smaller girl enquired, typical Rachel Berry always wanting to be prepared.
"Just yourself, and your bathing suit in case we decide to use the pool" Quinn shrugged casually though her mind was betraying her.
"Girls the food is here" David called up the stairs around a half hour later, the girls stopped their song search and began to trudge down to the dining room.
"Hey Rachel, can I ask you something?" Quinn asked as they took their seats.
"Of course"
"Do those things even qualify as shorts?" she smirked as the brunette looked down at her bare legs.
"I thought Santana and Brittany's shorts were short, but dang. Yours are in a whole new league, then again you are a little shorter.."
"Hey!"
The Berry men chuckled, they glanced at each other with knowing grins.
I like her.
Me too.
Think Quinn knows?
Think our baby knows?
"I'm only two inches shorter than Santana" Rachel defended between bites of the Chinese food they'd ordered.
"Which makes you four inches shorter than me" Quinn pointed out with a lazy smile earning a huff from Rachel and a chortle from Jonathan.
"Babygirl, you're petite but it doesn't matter. You're beautiful" David told her and his husband nodded.
Rachel blushed slightly, while she knew she wasn't ugly she always felt she looked different, especially when it came to the likes of the Cheerios.
"See, listen to your fathers, Rachel" the blonde told her as she took a sip of her drink.
"I don't look like the other girls" she almost whispered as she looked down to her plate.
Jonathan and David looked to each other as they watched Quinn lean closer to their daughter.
She tilted the girl's face towards her own and gulped as she looked into those gorgeous brown eyes, focus Fabray!
"Rachel Barbra Berry, you know who you look like? Yourself, and that's what makes you beautiful" Quinn told her sternly, ignoring the erratic pounding that had started in her chest from the close proximity.
"Do you really mean that, Quinn?" Rachel asked with a sniff as they straightened back up in their seats again.
"Absolutely" the blonde grinned before turning her attention back to her food.
Rachel looked to her dad's as she blushed ever so slightly.
Our babygirl definitely has a crush.
I think they've both got it bad.
They turned their attention back to the girls who were chattering away while they ate yet never breaking eye contact for very long.
How long do you think it'll be til' we have to invoke an open door policy?
A month, tops.
"Thank you for letting me stay, I've got to get going but I'm sure I'll see you both soon" Quinn said to both the Berry men who both hugged her in turn.
"Any time, Quinn"
"You're always welcome"
"My fathers seem very taken with you" Rachel smiled as she clicked the door shut behind them, walking Quinn the short distance to her car.
"They're awesome, you're awesome. Must be a Berry thing"
Rachel chuckled and stared adoringly at the blonde.
"What time should I expect you in the morning?"
"Not too early, I'm enjoying the lie-ins now I'm no longer out the door for 5am Cheerio practices. Cheerleading I enjoyed, Coach Sylvester's voice that early in the morning, not so much"
Both girls chuckled and Quinn opened her door, "I'll call you when I'm coming to get you"
The brunette nodded and smiled.
"You better get back inside, wouldn't want you catching a cold because of the underwear your wearing" she said teasingly, Rachel rolled her eyes laughing.
"I can't, not until you give me a hug"
Quinn looked to the girl in surprise unable to stop the smile forming on her lips, things were definitely changing. They were flirting effortlessly and now her former frenemy was demanding a hug.
The smaller girl wrapped her arms around the ex-cheerleader's small frame; the blonde relished the feeling of the warm girl against her and allowed her arms to wrap around her petite form.
Before she realized she had she placed a small kiss to the top of the girl's head, Rachel pulled away and smiled as she let Quinn finally get in the driver's seat.
"Let me know when you get home?"
"Scout's honour" she said as she started the engine.
"And remember tomorrow, bathing suit not dental floss" Quinn teased with a wink.
"Oh we'll see" Rachel joked playfully sticking out her tongue.
"We shall"
That tongue. That body in a bathing suit. Shit, Fabray. At this rate Santana's gonna get to use FabGAY.
