Title: In the Broken Night, Set Against the Sky

Pairing: Quinn/Rachel

A/N: Lyrics from "Lifeboats" by Snow Patrol. My sincerest apologies for taking more than a few days to update this particular story. My ideas kept rolling with the other I'm currently working on (Somewhere a Clock is Ticking) so I had to keep working on that while I had the inspiration for specific plot points. Here we are, though! Chapter 8 of 10, nearing a close. Thank you for everyone's tremendous support and I hope you're all enjoying the story. ^_^

vampiretiger: Again, I employ my powers of speechlessness upon you! Muahahahah and such. Really though, thank you again for the review, I appreciate it.
HappyLaura: Ahhh my favorite! -all kinds of hugs and stuff- I know what you mean about people not really exploring this part of Quinn's life, but as someone who wants to know the full story, I think the only way to figure out who Quinn is, is to bring her through the process of accepting the loss of Beth as her daughter (legally anyway) and accepting who she is beyond all the heartache. Rachel/Quinn kind of developed on their own through the process of writing this, it's weird to say but they really have grown by themselves, I'm just the hands that bring it to life, I guess. I can't imagine Shelby as the villain! I can only imagine she had just as difficult of a time losing Rachel as Quinn has had in terms of losing Beth.
Sharene19: Yes, yes, of course the road always gets easier. I have to keep a spark of hope alive, always. I'm glad you're still getting your work done, hopefully you've prepared for this! LOL oh reading the smut could be awkward at work, I'm glad you didn't do that.
depaul7: Next time I'll warn you if there's going to be excessive heartbreak! -mends your heart- I'm so glad you think it's a brilliant story, I'm flattered. Thank you kindly. :D

###

Chapter 8: When I Wake

Gliding like a satellite in the broken night,
and when I wake, you're there, I'm saved;
your love is life piled tight and high set against the sky,
that seems to balance on its own...

###

Quinn sipped at the tea in her hands, blearily staring out the kitchen window. It was far too early to be awake - but apparently most of New York didn't agree with her. Below, stories below, taxi cabs honked, distant voices shouted, and the tiny replicas of actual people (as Quinn liked to imagine, sometimes she'd close one eye and squish her fingers together to pretend she was a giant) were busily strolling down the sidewalks, rushing to and from work. As far as Quinn knew, she was the only person awake. It was Friday morning, the last morning they'd be spending there. Her quiet footsteps carried her to Beth's door. She'd stood in front of that door so many times in the last two weeks that she was sure there would be ruts in the carpet when she left. Idly, she sipped her tea. It felt like one of the most painful things she could do - just stand outside the door, too afraid to go in, too afraid to walk away. She supposed it was a kind of metaphor for her life. Afraid of both past and future. The only thing she was certain of was Rachel. Rachel had become her anchor, had become her high-school sweetheart.

Everyone else was peacefully sleeping, and here Quinn was, teetering on the edge of her final day with Beth. A swirl of emotions was consistently rolling around in her mind. Relief, anxiousness, sadness, regret. Mostly melancholy feelings. Another sip of tea, and another, before she finally forced herself to move back into the kitchen and away from Beth's room. The last day or so, when she'd woken up and found Rachel still asleep, she'd spent a lot of time at the kitchen window, staring down at New York City. Inevitably their future home - that is, as long as she and Rachel remained together after high school. They still had senior year, though, and Quinn fully planned on letting the relationship grow and blossom. Thinking about living in this city was something Quinn looked forward to. She could imagine the life she and Rachel might have; she didn't really allow herself to daydream about it that much - it did no good to pin her hopes on much, life had taught her to be a little bit of a cynic - but she was sure Rachel already had the decor and paint scheme plotted out for their entire future apartment, down to the thread count of the pillows and sheets. Quinn liked that about Rachel - she was so certain about everything.

Quinn felt certain of almost nothing, nothing except for Rachel. She was the balancing force, the thing that kept her from toppling into complete pessimism. Her tea began to get cold, and she pulled a face before gulping down the last remnants of tea and setting the mug in the sink. Quietly, she padded through to the guest room, edging open the door slightly. Early morning sunlight was mostly blocked out by the blinds, but the few strips of light that shone in warmed the place in which Rachel lay. A smirk crossed her lips - she remembered back during Regionals, when Rachel had fallen asleep in those horrendously pink pajamas. Rachel always looked adorable when she slept. Now the blonde felt more than lucky enough to wake up to that sight consistently. Quinn slipped into bed beside the diva, and felt the familiar insistence of Rachel rolling over just to grab Quinn's hand, tug it over her hip to twine with her own hand. They settled into one another naturally, and it felt perfect.

Quinn dropped off to sleep shortly following, only to be woken by the sound of Beth crying. Her instincts told her to go see what was the matter, but she sank back into the mattress as she heard Shelby's bedroom door open, and the woman's footsteps trailing toward the source of the noise. Quinn berated herself, somehow feeling grateful it was the last day. It was confusing here, being around Beth.

Rachel stirred in her slip, blinked sleepily, both at the sound of Beth's crying and the feel of Quinn's hand reconnecting with her own. The brunette turned her gaze over her shoulder and offered a tired smile, voice rasping quietly, "Hey."

"Hey back," Quinn offered a matching smile and pressed her lips to Rachel's forehead. "You're awake finally," she teased quietly. "And to think you used to be the morning person."

"It is summer-time," Rachel laughed, that laugh even warmer than usual due to that quiet rasp of awakening. Quinn felt Rachel's fingers twine with her own as the diva settled back against her. Pressing her lips to Rachel's shoulder, she closed her eyes.

"Are you glad we're going home?"

"Kind of. It's been wonderful here, but I miss my dads," Rachel settled as tightly as she could, tugging Quinn's hand all the way around her waist.

Quinn nodded simply, her hazel eyes trailing thoughtfully over Rachel's arms. She leaned up on her elbow, soothing her emotions with the sight of Rachel. Her beauty was stunning, perfect, something Quinn would forever treasure.

"Are you glad?"

"That we're going home?"

"And that we came?"

"I am, for both. It's been rewarding but unbelievably difficult and confusing," Quinn admitted quietly between them, resting her forehead on the back of Rachel's shoulder and just thoughtfully watching the surface of her skin, distantly letting her thoughts sink into the entire flurry of emotions she'd gone through while they'd been there. "I think I'm ready for a nice, normal day."

Rachel disconnected briefly as she turned over, slipping easily onto her back and looking up at Quinn. The brunette wiped sleep from her eyes, stretched, her warm lithe body fitting perfectly in Quinn's arms. "I'm glad you came." Those perfect chocolate orbs stared up at her affectionately, Rachel reaching up a hand to gingerly slip her fingers along the curvature of Quinn's jaw.

Even though Quinn had mixed feelings, and all-together didn't know exactly how this trip had changed her, she was still grateful she had come. The worst things in life, she'd been learning, were the 'what if's' that haunted people until their dying day. With Rachel, she'd conquered most of those lingering questions, both with her relationship with the diva and taking the chance of going on this trip.

Quinn took Rachel's hand delicately and placed a simple kiss against her palm, before leaning down and capturing her lips in a loving kiss.

###

Saying goodbye was a strange thing. It was never anything Quinn had been very good at, mostly because she didn't know how people were supposed to act, or feel. There'd been a very poignant thing about her life as HBIC. She had remained aloof enough not to ever get attached to anyone, and although it had been lonely, it had nurtured a sense of detachment that she savored. With Rachel in her life, there was no chance of remaining aloof. Rachel made her feel everything, and under the surface she had always made Quinn feel. How many times had she broken down in front of the diva? Cried, confessed secrets, talked to Rachel as if they had once been friends though never had been? The blonde felt her thoughts tugging her lower, and in an effort to quell them, she reached for Rachel's hand and laced their fingers together. Rachel instinctually responded in kind, squeezing Quinn's hand in her own, but not disengaging from the conversation with Shelby.

If anything, the ex-Cheerio was overjoyed that Rachel seemed so bouyant now that she'd gotten to spend real time getting to know her mother. Quinn could see that she practically glowed and bounced whenever they spoke. The two women had so much in common, it was easy to see that Shelby had some powerfully influential genes. Quinn let the women talk, and all the while felt her gut twisting bit by bit in anxiousness. The airport crowds were heavy, people coming and going, hugging one another goodbye. The worst part for Quinn, usually, was having to go through security. Something about being parted from whoever she was travelling with made her incredibly nervous. She felt like she was floating out at sea alone. Now, though, she suspected that saying goodbye to Beth would be the most torturous part of the whole thing.

Over the last days of their trip, she'd begun to slowly separate herself from the girl. She didn't want to give Shelby any reason to feel as if her role as Beth's mother was being threatened. She hadn't even really texted anyone back in Lima about all of it, excluding Santana. A part of her felt guilty, as if she should have included Puck in this somehow, but at the time it just didn't seem like a good idea. Quinn and Shelby had exchanged e-mails and phone numbers - mostly because Shelby insisted - so Shelby could send Quinn and Puck updated photos and news about Beth over time. The blonde didn't know if Shelby would follow through, but she was torn on whether it was something she wanted. Could she be forever reminded of the child living a life separate from her own? She'd come to the decision that until she got a handle on the emotions regarding giving Beth away, she wouldn't be making too many trips to New York.

She didn't want to confuse Beth, or make Shelby feel like she had to share her daughter. Rachel had her mother back in her life, and Shelby had two beautiful daughters to look after. Quinn didn't want to come between that. Well, she wanted Beth back in her life, but she didn't. None of that would be fair.

She shook the thoughts from her mind, squeezed Rachel's hand once more as if to communicate her need for the contact. Her lips quirked at the edges as she felt Rachel's gaze turn to her. Those brown eyes drew her in, comforted her, gave her the thing she needed to survive and change into the person she was to become - hope. Rachel seemed to be a boundless resource for hope. Never once, in all their time as enemies, then friends, then lovers, had she seen Rachel give up hope for anything. Quinn loved that about her, loved many things about her.

The bustle of the airport security line was loud, a rude awakening that this was it, the jumping off point. They'd have to say goodbye now, and Quinn didn't know how she felt, if she felt anything at all. Maybe she'd get lucky and it would only sink in later. The ex-Cheerio really didn't want to cry in the middle of a busy airport.

"Thank you girls, so much, for coming out to stay. It means so much to me," Shelby touched Quinn's shoulder before turning to Rachel, and pulling her daughter into a tight embrace. Both brunettes clung to one another, and Quinn could hear the sigh expelled from Rachel.

"Thank you for having us," Rachel spoke softly, the shorter brunette latched on for dear life. As she pulled away, Quinn noted tears in those beautiful brown eyes. She wanted to comfort her, but she didn't want to interrupt the moment. Shelby reached forward and stroked a hand gently over Rachel's hair, smiling affectionately.

"Love you, kid," her tone was warm, the kind of tone someone might have if they didn't want to get too emotional.

Rachel smiled tearfully and nodded, glowing under her mother's affection, "I love you," she seemed to be a bit nervous about saying that. Come to think of it, Quinn hadn't really heard Rachel say 'I love you' to Shelby, not that she could recall. The diva was clearly unsure about saying those words, but the smile and the bashful flush of her cheeks gave credence to the fact that Rachel meant it. After a moment, Rachel bent at the knees to say goodbye to Beth. "It was lovely meeting you, little sister, I'm so glad I finally got the chance to see you."

Shelby motioned delicately to Quinn, "You're not getting away that easy," although she was giving Quinn a gentle ribbing, she could see the sympathy in Shelby's expression. The blonde awkwardly shuffled forward, unsure of what Shelby wanted, but when she felt warm arms surround her, she realized she was getting the same kind of hug Rachel had. It took Quinn a moment to respond - Judy Fabray hadn't exactly been overly physically affectionate as a mother - her arms slipped easily around Shelby and Quinn allowed herself to close her eyes, just for a moment. Shelby's strong arms were enveloping her in the kind of hug she'd always remember. Motherly. Because of Beth, because of Quinn having Beth, this troubled mother had become a mom, to both Rachel and Beth. It was beautiful in some way. Quinn found herself holding on tight for a moment, fingers digging into the soft suede of Shelby's coat.

"Thank you."

"Thank you," Shelby parroted softly and Quinn thought she felt a pair of lips on the top of her head just before they parted. The blonde saw Rachel watching with a quiet smile, and felt Rachel's hand touch her shoulder as she knelt down to say goodbye to Beth once more.

It was akin to tearing a limb off. Not giving up Beth once, but leaving her twice. Quinn felt speechless, her brow furrowed with the soft ghost of emotion. Luckily, it didn't have th full impact on her just yet. The blonde reached out, touched Beth's hand much in the way she had upon first really meeting the girl. Beth beamed and bounced her feet a bit. This beautiful child would have a happy family, and that's what mattered. Someday, somehow, Quinn would fit into that life, but for now she couldn't. The blonde kissed Beth's tiny hand and shook it. "Don't forget me, okay?" The words came out a bit choppy, emotion making its way to the surface. Quinn stood, felt a subtle tremble in her thighs, and was grateful for the arm that slipped around her waist as the blonde stood level with Rachel. She shared a grateful glance with Rachel.

"Be safe, girls. Make sure you text me when you land," Shelby offered and gave one last kiss to her oldest daughter's cheek. Rachel blushed under the attention and noded, before she gently tugged Quinn along with her.

Quinn felt a bit numb, a bit sad. When they got through security and made their way to the boarding gate, she could feel the slow rumbling of emotions beginning. The ex-Cheerio sincerely hoped she could keep a grip on her emotions at least until they boarded the plane. She felt a tentative squeeze and glanced at the hand joined with her own. "Thank you," Quinn finally spoke.

Rachel merely offered a grin and nodded.

"You're perfect for me," Quinn breathed as they sat down together at the boarding gate, separated from a few people here and there who were waiting to board the flight.

Rachel looked a little stunned, and swallowed, "Quinn," she felt her heart respond to the tone of awe in Rachel's voice.

"You are. I love you, I love you so much," tears welled into Quinn's eyes, and she gently took Rachel's free hand in her own. Hazel eyes dropped to their joined hands. "I know we're young, and that most people don't think you can figure out things this serious at an early age, but Rachel, I just .. I don't want to be with anyone else. Not that I was going anywhere, but I just need you to know that. I need you, even when I'm hurting, you make it better. When I want to run, I can't. You anchor me. You .. I just - " her words faltered on her tongue. As Quinn willed herself to look up at Rachel's face, she was stricken by the sight of Rachel's deep affection. It poured out her gaze, the soft sight of tears in those perfect eyes. An emotional laugh bubbled up as Quinn took in Rachel's expression, "I really like making you speechless," she purred softly before pressing her lips to Rachel's.

The diva smiled slowly, sniffled, "I love you. Although I agree, most people don't find their particular match in life, I do - I feel that this is something that we'll never lose."

"Good," Quinn breathed, smiled happily. Although she felt a mix of emotions, she knew Rachel would keep her safe, would protect her from the sharp barbs of loss.

Overhead, the speakers announced general boarding, and Quinn rose, keeping one of Rachel's hands in her own. The blonde glanced behind them, as if she was partially expecting to see Shelby or Beth in the distance. They were heading back home, and Quinn felt both relieved and sad about that. Rachel, too, had looked behind them.

"If anything," the blonde began, "I'm glad we did this for you," she glanced over at Rachel, saw her smiling affectionately. The steady thump-click-roll of all of the boarding passengers coated the silence between them. "And me too. I never thought I'd get the chance that I did."

Rachel remained silent, but rested her head against Quinn's shoulder. Finally they reached their seats, Rachel getting to climb into the window seat before Quinn sat next to her. The flight home was relatively silent, both girls lost in their own thoughts and reviewing the past two weeks like a slideshow. Rachel, of course, was a bit more content than Quinn. The brunette was toying with Quinn's fingers mid-thought. Something calming rolled through Quinn, and she let out a quiet sigh. Her emotions, although fragile, weren't overwhelmingly sad. She thought perhaps they would be in a few days, when they finally had gotten home. The relief she felt made her feel guilty.

Quinn closed her eyes, and felt Rachel resting her head against her own. Quietly, she took another steadying breath and focused on the feeling of Rachel's breathing, her hand in her own, and the sound of the plane lulling her into a tired sleep.

###

"Q!" Brittany happily picked Quinn up in her arms and spun her around, before giving Rachel a little bit more of a subdued hug. Santana was striding cooly along behind her, a slow smirk on her face at the sight of her best friend and the little diva that accompanied her.

Santana's reaction was much calmer, but not less welcoming in any sense of the word. In fact, even Rachel seemed to feel a warmer reaction to Santana. It was Quinn the Latina greeted first. Her arms slipped around Quinn and pulled her in for what could only be described as a loving embrace. Quinn could smell the gentle musk of her perfume as Santana rested her head against her best friend's shoulder.

"Missed you, Q," her voice was that sultry warm that it always had been, and Quinn tightened her arms around Santana. She embraced her in earnest, Quinn's fingers gently digging into Santana's shoulder. Santana let out a quiet sigh that lingered, almost as if she were relieved to see Quinn. It surprised the ex-Cheerio how much sincerity Santana was showing. It felt like the embrace lasted forever, and was nearly as intense as the first time Quinn and Rachel had shared that tender moment in Rachel's bathroom late one night, what seemed like a lifetime ago. Quinn felt a gentle peck on her cheek as Santana pulled away, and the Latina's cheeks were flushed in the way they were when she was feeling especially emotional.

The blonde smiled warmly and touched Santana's face, "Missed you too," she scrunched her nose playfully and gently shoved Santana's shoulder to lighten the mood. Santana was one to retract if things remained mushy for too long. Even if she had been the one to make it somewhat emotional. Those dark brown eyes glittered as the Latina shoved back.

"Gimli," Santana nodded in acknowledgement and was chewing on her lip in the way Quinn recognized as a show of insecurity. Rachel was hesitating somewhat in front of the Latina, hands folded in front of her.

"Hello, Santana," Rachel greeted warmly. Rachel Berry's gaze could melt anyone's heart, and Quinn knew that because she'd been the Ice Queen - but those eyes, those eyes had dismantled her completely. Quinn could see Santana's foundation cracking as she glanced at the floor. Rachel was shifting her foot nervously and chewing on her bottom lip. Quinn had to make a sincere effort not to laugh, because the fact they both felt so incredibly awkward but so desperately wanted to hug one another was beyond description. It was out of character for Santana, in a way, but also endearing.

"Fuck it," Santana finally caved, rolled her eyes, and smoothly closed the distance between herself and Rachel. The Latina pulled Rachel into the same intense embrace she'd offered Quinn. The blonde smiled a bit and shared a look with Brittany, who was beaming a little.

Rachel looked, at first, terrified. Her arms had gone out to her sides as if her first instinct was to run away, but it didn't take long for the warm arms around her to melt the diva into the embrace. Things were changing. People were changing. They were all growing up, in some weird way. Rachel grasped on to Santana, tightly, as if they'd always been close. There was something beautiful about it. Quinn smiled a bit as she saw Rachel lean up on her tip-toes to fully embrace Santana in return.

After a few moments like that, Santana disengaged, glanced around the airport and brushed herself off. The Latina cleared her throat, arched an eyebrow, and pointed an accusing finger at Rachel, "Don't tell a soul that just happened."

"N-no. Of course not," Rachel looked a little flushed, pleased, and frightened, all at once. She held up two fingers, "Scout's honor."

Santana gave a curt nod before she took Brittany's hand in her own, "Come on, let's get you losers your baggage and then I can take you home," the Latina offered a simple smile as she turned, leading the way to baggage claim.

Quinn was impressed. Santana's display before they had even left for New York was a surprising stretch for her emotions, but now she seemed to have come leaps and bounds. After all, she had hugged Rachel Berry and it looked like she'd enjoyed it. Of course, who wouldn't? Quinn's expression lit as she slipped an arm around Rachel's shoulders and strode alongside the grinning diva.

"So how'd it go, anyway?" Santana asked a few moments later as they watched the baggage travel in circles, waiting for the luggage Rachel had meticulously tagged before they left. The girl was nothing if not organized.

"It was good. Enlightening," Quinn responded honestly. "Weird, but good."

Santana nodded. "How about you, Baggins?"

"Wonderful! I have to say it - "

"Ah," Santana cut her off with a swift hand gesture, "no. I didn't ask for a whole damn story. I just asked how it went."

Rachel blinked rapidly, as if a little caught offguard, "Of course, yes. It went well."

"Get along with the moms?"

"Perfectly."

"Cool. That's good. I mean it's probably a good thing 'cause you know ... she hasn't really been around."

Rachel stiffened a little and glanced at the ground. Quinn tightened her arm around her shoulders and pressed her a bit into the crook of her shoulder. Rachel's hand slipped around Quinn's back and rested on her hip, squeezing.

"I didn't mean it like that," Santana corrected herself, apparently seeing Rachel's discomfort. "I just mean .. I'm glad for you."

The brunette nodded in response, "Yes, of course, I know. Thank you, Santana. I appreciate the sentiment."

"Do you guys plan on going back?" Brittany asked curiously as she swayed in place.

Quinn glanced at Rachel. That was really the diva's call. It was her mom, after all.

Rachel apparently was thinking something similar because she searched Quinn's expression, "I think not for a little while. It was quite emotionally taxing, you know. For the both of us, of course," she offered sympathetically before glancing at Brittany.

Brittany only nodded simply. "I think your dads said they were making dinner for all of us, if you guys weren't too tired," she offered the information hopefully. "Leroy said he was going to explain veganism to me and Lord Tubbington said I'm stupid for not knowing what that is."

Rachel grinned and nodded, "We'd love to have you both over." Santana spotted their bags right away - mostly because Rachel had used very obvious gold star tags to mark both of their luggage bags. The Latina had shook her head, said something in Spanish accompanied with an eye-roll, and was trudging ahead of them, both bags in tow.

It was funny, now that Quinn gave the dinner invite. She genuinely was a part of the Berry family. When they were discussed, she was automatically included in that; Rachel hadn't meant 'we' as in her fathers and herself, she'd meant the four of them. A family unit. Quinn was part of a real family, the kind that would love and support her. She had (unofficial) fathers. She distantly had a daughter. What was most immediate was that she had a girl who loved her for everything she was and everything she could be. She felt a squeeze at her hip, and Quinn smiled at the diva beside her. Rachel's eyes were glimmering with affection. There were so many things she wanted to say to Rachel, so many things she wanted to ask her. A part of Quinn was bowled over by the sudden intensity of growth in feelings for Rachel in the last two weeks. It was always like that with Rachel - just when Quinn thought she couldn't possibly feel anything more intense, there she was marvelling at the emotions she felt like little explosions underneath her ribs.

She wanted to tell Rachel that when she'd said she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her, she really meant it. Quinn couldn't imagine being anywhere without Rachel. It meant so many things - it meant committing to a same-sex relationship in a world that didn't always love or accept them. It meant being open, being unafraid of the looks, unafraid of the jeers that might get thrown at them. They still had senior year to go, and by all means things could have changed, but something in her gut told her that they wouldn't be changing at all.

There were plans, ideas she had, and she didn't want to focus on them too much. One thing at a time, she reminded herself of this lately quite often. Right now she had to focus on dealing with her leftover feelings from visiting Beth. Meeting Beth. And at some point, she knew she'd have to tell Puck that she'd visited their daughter. Granted, Puck wasn't the type you'd consider to be a real fatherly sort, but he had a heart of gold and he had wanted to name her. So that's what they'd named her. Beth.

The foursome made their way out of the airport, mostly silent in the throng of crowds coming and going. Quinn slipped her arm from around Rachel's shoulders and gently took her hand as they made their way to the car, and the ex-Cheerio helped Santana put their luggage in the car, laughing as Santana complained about how heavy Quinn's bag was.

"Once HBIC, always HBIC, right, Q?"

"You know it," she winked at Santana before she got in the backseat, feeling Rachel slip in next to her and rest her head tiredly on Quinn's shoulder. The blonde easily slipped her arm around Rachel. Granted, she had a lot of emotions to process but she felt a warm glow in her heart. Listening to Santana and Brittany talk made her feel like she was finally home, especially with Rachel snuggled against her side and dozing off already.

###

Hiram and Leroy greeted both the girls warmly, and Leroy planted a kiss on Quinn's forehead as the blonde stepped inside. Quinn had flushed, unsure of how to react to that. Her father had obviously never been affectionate, so Quinn had little to no experience in interacting with older males, father figures. Even Schue kept his sincerest distance - mostly because even he still expected Quinn's attitude to return with a vengeance.

Quinn merely grinned and hugged Leroy around the waist.

"So, girls, how did it go?" Hiram asked as he pulled the vegan lasagna out of the oven. "Was it nice seeing Shelby and Beth?"

Rachel nodded enthusiastically as she sat down on a stool. Surprisingly, Santana took a seat next to her, leaving Rachel sandwiched between Quinn and Santana. The diva reached over and linked her fingers with Quinn's. "It was wonderful. There was so much to do there, but even just staying at her apartment was quite nice. She even looked up vegan recipes to cook while I was there," she laughed a little bit, offered a smile.

"And Beth?" Leroy added carefully, his eyes darting to Quinn and lingering there.

Quinn swallowed thickly, hazel eyes darting down, "It was nice."

"Good," Leroy offered what appeared to be a sympathetic smile, his eyes wrinkling at the edges as if he was trying to say just a little bit more, offer an ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on. Quinn smiled gratefully and nodded, remaining mostly silent. Rachel's hand rhythmically squeezed at her own, gently.

Suddenly, the diva hopped up as if she'd forgotten something, "Oh! Perhaps we should go take our bags upstairs," but her tone suggested that she may want a moment with Quinn.

Shrugging her shoulders a bit nonchalantly, she nodded, "Better now than later," Quinn got up from her stool and was grateful to see Brittany slip into conversation with Leroy about veganism ("But isn't that mean to the vegetables? I mean... they're alive, too.") with Santana politely listening in and watching with a hungry stare as Hiram evened out the lasagna.

Quinn grabbed both of their luggages, placing them in their respective rooms. Her eyes moved to the desk, where she'd last hidden Beth's birth certificate. Rachel's hand surprised her as it slipped up her back and over her shoulder. The blonde turned into the touch, offered a quiet smile.

"I just wanted to make sure everything is okay," Rachel hesitated a bit, reached up, and touched Quinn's face in that gentle, affectionate way.

Quinn nodded, "Yeah. I think it's going to take a few days to really process everything. It was good for me though."

Rachel nodded appreciatively, leaned up, and captured Quinn's lips in a tender, passionate kiss. That was another nice thing about being home - almost complete solitude and intimacy without worrying about Shelby or Beth hearing. Quinn felt that familiar spark as Rachel kissed her in just that subtle, sensual way that always managed to jump-start Quinn's heart. The blonde smiled against Rachel's lips.

"We should go downstairs."

"Okay," Rachel pouted slightly, causing Quinn to shake her head and grin.

"We have all night. And we're home, so that means a lot of time together. Alone," Quinn arched a suggestive eyebrow and watched Rachel blush. That Berry grin was too wonderful to ignore, and Quinn sighed happily. "I'll meet you downstairs, I just have to - " she thumbed the air behind her, pointing to the restroom, and Rachel nodded simply.

The diva disappeared down the stairs, and Quinn glanced at the bedroom door. She closed the door to her bedroom only slightly, and snuck quietly to her desk. The ex-Cheerio opened Beth's birth certificate, eyes scanning over the details. She touched the little footprints on the corner, and smiled with both fondness and sadness. Tears pricked at her eyes. "Don't forget me," she murmured quietly.

Another cautious glance told her she was still alone, and she opened her drawer. In it, she'd been storing an empty frame with the dimensions suitable for holding the birth certificate. With shaking hands, Quinn slipped the back off and placed the certificate in the frame. Fastening the back latch, she positioned the certificate on the corner of the desk, touched the glass fondly.

"I love you, Beth," Quinn's voice was sincere, though she knew the child couldn't hear her. The blonde touched her flat stomach, the thing that would always remind her of the ghost of what was. Her fingers moved over her own abs, remembering how it felt to carry her daughter for nine months, every day appraising the mirror.

It wasn't easy, giving up her child. Quinn knew, beyond a doubt, she'd done the most selfless thing she could have done in Beth's situation. It had taken all the strength she had to make it through that. The blonde moved over to her mirror, lifted her shirt a little. Flat. Remembering the ghost of the Quinn that once was, she stared for a moment.

"We're gonna be okay, Q," she spoke quietly to herself. For the first time in what seemed like ages, she saw a flicker of self-acceptance and self-love in her reflection. Beth was out there, living a happy and healthy childhood, and that's all any mother wanted for her child.

Downstairs, raucous laughter erupted, and Quinn smiled quietly. She had a family. It might be complicated, and difficult, and she might still have a few remaining issues to deal with - namely, letting Puck know she'd seen Beth, and letting Rachel know all the things she wanted to say, all the things she had been waiting to ask the brunette until it felt right - but for tonight, she was content. The loss of her daughter stung her no more than it had an hour ago. Rachel's laughter peeled from the kitchen, and hazel eyes closed for a moment.

"Santana, make sure you keep the jokes appropriate!" Quinn called down the stairs before she trotted down and joined her very strange, unorthodox family for a vegan dinner, even though she really wanted bacon.