Update! Yay! Okay so in this chapter, we find out where exactly we'll find the girls after graduation. Don't worry, in upcoming chapters we find out where the rest of the Gleeks will be as well so the girls may or may not have familiar company. Anyways thanks again for the reviews, especially to my little supper reviewer Caseyrn12, who never fails to put a smile on my face and to everyone who has added this story to their story alerts. Enjoy!
Night time had rolled around rather quickly after Santana had left. Rachel and Quinn had thanked her profusely for being there for both of them, and after a round of hugs, the Latina left just moments before the Berry men arrived home. To say they were a little stunned with Rachel's new appearance was accurate. They were expecting it to happen sooner rather than later but it was still something that required some getting used to.
Quinn on the other hand, was adjusting to it rather well. The blonde had mentally prepared herself for seeing Rachel this way, her faith and her friends helping her reach a level of acceptance of what was to come and she was grateful for it. When she looked at Rachel, it wasn't the lack of hair or the scarf covering her now bare head that she saw, it was the woman she fell in love with. Still as beautiful as ever and Quinn had made sure to let Rachel know just how much by spending the evening engaging in some heft PDA. Only stopping when Hiram and Leroy returned home.
The family was now gathered in the kitchen, Rachel and Quinn sitting on side of the dining table, and Leroy and Hiram sitting across from them, all nursing a cup of herbal tea, having made it a point earlier in the week to discuss what the girls were planning to do after graduation. The Berry men had made it clear that no wedding would take place unless the girls had decided upon what their long term plans were for at least the next couple of years.
To say both girls had thought long and hard about this particular subject was an understatement. With Rachel's cancer, and the fact that she was only about a month into treatment, they would have to factor in how this would affect her medical care. This lead to both girls engaging in some serious soul searching both as a couple and as individual people, as they tried to figure out what they wanted to do. If they wanted to be together, it was inevitable that one of the girls would have to give up their dream college. But who? And did they really have enough time to apply to other colleges so close to graduation?
"We've been thinking a lot about the future and what's going to happen after graduation, and the one thing we agreed on is that we want to be together," Quinn said as she held Rachel's hand on the kitchen table. "I don't want to begin married life with my wife living in another city or state. I want us to do it together," Quinn stated with steely determination. "And if that means following Rachel to New York then so be it." Leroy gave the blonde a small smile, a sense of pride in that a girl so young was willing to change her whole future for his baby girl. The silence that had fallen was broken by Rachel as she turned to face her fiancée.
"Quinn you can't give up Yale. It's been your dream college for the last two years, it's an amazing opportunity," Rachel argued as she gave Quinn's hand a squeeze. The blonde shook her head about to dispute what the diva was saying but spoke up first. "Is this about my cancer? Because if it is I'm telling you now Lucy Quinn Fabray, you are NOT giving Yale because of my illness," Rachel said with a fire in her eyes as she stared into the hazel eyes staring back at her. But Quinn wasn't having any of it. She was going to make Rachel see it her way.
"No, there is no way in hell, I'm leaving you to fight this thing on your own. Not a chance," Quinn argued back, twisting in her chair so she was facing Rachel completely. "If I left you behind to fight this on your own, it would be the biggest regret of my life and it would eat me up every single day I was away from you. But it's not just about the cancer," Quinn said as she leaned over to her fiancée and grabbed a hold of both the diva's hands. "Rach, I love you, and I want to start the next chapter of our lives together, not living in different states. I can't do it, and I won't."
Pushing her chair away from the table Quinn walked over to her backpack and removed what looked like a letter. Walking back over to the table she sat down and looked at the Berry men who were facing each other, knowing exactly where this was going. Quinn handed the letter to Rachel who looked at her confused. Opening it up, Rachel brought her hand to her mouth in shock, Staring back at her was Quinn's acceptance letter to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Rachel looked at Quinn and tried to speak but her words were caught in her throat unable to escape.
"I talked to Ms. Pilsbury and she pointed me in the direction of colleges that offer a theatre programme so that I can still study what I want to study. I looked through them all and apparently NYU offers one of the most extensive theatre programmes in the country. Right up there with Yale," Quinn said with a smile. She gently stroked Rachel's forearm and watched the girl read the letter over and over, as if checking to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. "It means we can both do what we want to do, and be together," Quinn offered as her smile grew bigger. Just as she was feeling confident that everything was going to work out, Rachel put a spanner in the works.
"Quinn you can't," Rachel said as she placed the letter down on the table. Quinn frowned, a look of dejection slowly creeping across her face. "Rach, it's okay, I can….." Rachel cut Quinn off as she turned to her father and eyed him with a look that Hiram seemed to understand. Quinn looked between the pair confused, until she watched as Hiram stood up, walked to the mail drawer and removed an envelope, returning to the table and handing it to his daughter. "You can't go to NYU, because I've been accepted to Yale," Rachel said timidly, almost with a hint of a nervous smile.
The blonde sat stunned, had she heard Rachel right? Her eyes were pulled towards the table as she watched Rachel slide the Yale stamped envelope towards her. Quinn placed her hand down on top of it effectively trapping the diva's hand beneath hers. "But, Rach, what about NYADA and Broadway?" Quinn asked. Rachel smiled at her and moved her trapped hand from beneath the blonde's so that she could hold it. Hiram and Leroy sat watching the whole thing unfold right before their eyes. Watching as two young teenagers became adults right before their eyes. Learning to meander one of life's many curveballs.
"My dream is still to get to Broadway, my plan on getting on there has just changed a little," Rachel pointed out as she drummed her fingers on the letter still sitting between them. "I already know I can sing, but as I discovered during my performance in West Side Story, my acting skills could use a little work and apparently Yale offers one of the best, if not the best theatre programme there is. I figured I could study acting there and then when we're finished, New York will be there waiting for us," the diva said with a smile. A smile that Quinn could see was genuine and hid no sense of doubt in this decision.
"You'd really do this for me?" Quinn asked as tears welled up in her eyes at what Rachel was prepared to do for both their happiness. "Quinn don't you get it? I would do anything for you," Rachel said with a serious tone as she cupped Quinn's cheek in her hand and wiped away a tear that had fallen. "You have done so much for me already and I know that you always will. Let me do this for you. For us," the diva whispered. Quinn placed her hand over the one that was cradling her cheek and smiled the biggest smile Rachel had ever seen. "Okay, let's do this," Quinn replied as Rachel practically jumped into her arms and held her tight, laughing when the Berry men across from them burst into a round of applause.
"Oh thank God you said yes, otherwise my weeks of planning would have been for nothing," Rachel said as she sat down again. Quinn looked at Rachel suspiciously. "Planning, what planning?" The diva broke into a sly smile as she looked at both her fathers. Leroy turned in his seat and turned to the kitchen island behind him and picked up the folder that was sitting on top of it and handed it to his daughter. "Well, I was kind of counting on you saying yes, so I took the liberty of scoping out apartments off campus. Dad and Daddy have agreed to help pay the rent since we both have full scholarships. So what do you think?" Rachel asked as she handed Quinn a small bundle of print outs of apartments in New Haven.
"Honestly, I think you're amazing and I'm the luckiest girl in the world to be marrying you," Quinn said as she put the papers down and leaned in to kiss Rachel, the Berry men averting their eyes momentarily to give the girls some privacy. "But what about your treatment?" Quinn asked, her brain already going to overdrive thinking of what a move like this could do to Rachel's health. Rachel placed a comforting hand on her fiancée's shoulder. "Baby it's okay. I talked to the doctor at my last session and he said as long as we're in New Haven before the next bout of radium and chemo, that it shouldn't be a problem. He can have my case transferred to the Smilow Cancer Hospital there."
Quinn visibly relaxed when she saw the hospital brochure that Rachel had handed her, knowing that there was a plan in place for Rachel's care and treatment. That was her top priority and it was a relief knowing that steps were being taken to make sure Rachel's health wasn't going to suffer. "Well, it looks like you girls have finally got a plan in place," Leroy said with a big grin on his face. Both girls smiled realising that yes, they did in fact have a plan. One that was thought out and that they were both comfortable with. "Yeah okay don't get too comfortable. You've got your next steps after graduation planned but now," Hiram trailed off as he stood up and walked to his briefcase and removed a stack of magazines, "We've got a wedding to organise," he sat as he sat down and handed a magazine to each of the tables occupants, everyone happy to delve into planning the biggest day of the girl's lives.
That night as they lay in bed, Quinn couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She was graduating high school with people she knew would be friends with for life, she was going to be attending her dream college, but most importantly, in a few weeks, she was going to make the girl lying in her arms Mrs. Rachel Berry-Fabray, and she couldn't have been happier in that moment. As Rachel lay with her head on Quinn's chest she gently rubbed circles on the girl's stomach under her night shirt.
"You're being awfully quiet," Quinn said as she used the arm wrapped around Rachel to squeeze her shoulder to encourage her to speak. "Sorry, I've just been thinking," Rachel replied. Quinn shifted her head on the pillow so she glanced down at the girl lying against her chest. "About what?" the blonde asked as she brought her hand up to rest on the once tanned hand that was resting on her stomach. Rachel lifted herself from her current position and leaned on her left elbow, placing her right over Quinn's heart.
"On our wedding night, I want you to make love to me," Rachel said, her voice cracking with nerves. Quinn stared up at the brown eyes gazing back at her to see if she could see any sign that the girl above her was uncertain about her decision. Rachel was still a virgin and although they had been in a relationship since their Junior Year, Quinn never pressured the girl into having sex with her. She was more than happy to wait until Rachel was ready. "Rach, are you sure?" Quinn asked, wanting her fiancée to absolutely positive that this is what she wanted. "Yeah," Rachel replied with a shy smile. "I am. I want us to make love and I want our first time to be the first night we spend together as a married couple."
Quinn beamed up at Rachel, gently wrapping her hand around the girls neck and pulling her down into a full on kiss, tongues darting out as they begged for entrance which was immediately granted. Getting lost in the kiss, Quinn wrapped her arms around Rachel and flipped her over on her back. Hovering over the smaller girl, Quinn gazed down at the sparkling brown eyes staring back at her, completely and utterly lost in the fact that this girl had promised to spend the rest of her life with her. In that moment, Quinn felt as if she could soar across the sky, with her shining star guiding the way. "I love you," Quinn said as she ran a hand across Rachel's cheek. "I love you too," the diva replied before the blonde captured her lips in her own as they spent the rest of the night wrapped up in each other's arms.
So what do you think? Go on, hit that little review button… you know you want to! Next up we'll see all the Gleeks let loose at a Noah Puckerman end of football season blow out. Wonder what this could entail for our girls? See you soon.
