Chapter 10

2 days later Quinn took Beth out shopping. They were taking a break because let's face it, shopping takes up a lot of energy. They were in the middle of dinner when her phone rang. She saw Puck's name flash on the screen and picked up immediately.

"Puckerman! Nice to know you're still alive and breathing." She answered sternly, although her voice was laced with amusement.

"Q, nice to talk to you too." The former badboy answered. "How are you? How's Beth? Is she with you?"

"Aren't we eager today. I'm fine, Beth is great and yes she's with me. Want to talk to her?" Beth was already squirming in her seat with excitement.

"Of course I want to talk to her. It's been too long!" Even though she could use the opportunity to tell the man he needed to call more often if he couldn't visit the girl, she held her tongue. It wasn't the time or place to point this out and she knew he did his best. His band needed him to stay in LA for the moment and seeing as they were a hair's breadth away from their breakthrough, she didn't want to force him to come back. She loved the fact that he went after his dreams, whilst she put hers 'on hold'.

She passed the phone, watching the little girl's face light up. She talked animatedly for over 20 minutes.

Puck answered something and the girl replied "No I love you more!" as she giggled her little heart out. Quinn's heart melted at the scene. Puck could be such an ass most of the time but he had a heart of gold. After everything they went through all those years ago, she knew she could rely on him.

Beth gave her phone back and continued eating her sandwich.

"I put some money in your bank account, buy Beth a nice dress will ya? Maybe she could wear it this Christmas, when I could stop by? I can't promise anything yet but I'll do my best."

"I will. Let me know okay?"

"Yeah, I'll see you two soon. Love you"

"Love you too, bye" She hung up.

"You want to buy a pretty dress? Your dad's buying." She asked the girl excitedly.

2 days before Thanksgiving, Rachel accompanied Shelby to the groceries store. They were stocking supplies to prepare for dinner as they were discussing everything and nothing. Everything went along great until the topic of conversation drifted to boy and girlfriends.

"How are things progressing with Hanna? That's her name right? I forgot to ask you that if you'd like to bring her along this Thursday, it would be alright." She asked as she was reading the label of some bottle of wine.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you apparently. We're not dating anymore."

"That's a shame. I know her mother and apparently she was quite hung up on you."

"I know, but we agreed to stay friends and it seems to work well."

"That's nice. I take it you ended it then?"

"That is correct. I did like her, as a friend. I couldn't go through with it."

"Well honey, there are other fish is the sea" She winked at her. Noticing Rachel's dreamy eyes and small smile, she got curious, again.

"Apparently you already found another fish" She teased. They took a turn, wandering into another isle.

"It doesn't matter. Not all fairytales come true." Rachel responded, the dreamy look in her eyes gone.

Sensing the touchy tone, Shelby halted, making Rachel stop behind her. She turned around, facing the younger woman.

"Rachel, we haven't known each other for that long and I don't want to intrude, but if you're serious about that person -." Rachel cut her off.

"- I am."

"Then there is no reason why it couldn't happen. You're a smart young woman who's mature and is able to assess the situation, so I trust you to be wise and if that person is worth it, why wouldn't you go after what you want?"

Rachel laughed away the subject, not wanting to go into the whole matter. However, the words did stay in her mind all day long.

Rachel was nervous and she didn't know why exactly. She and her daddy were getting ready for dinner at Shelby's. Her dad had already left earlier, to help Shelby prepare most of the vegan dishes. She looked herself up and down in the mirror, nodding her approval. She had opted for black skinny jeans, on top of that a formfitting red top and simple black stiletto's.

"Rachel, are you even listening?" LeRoy waved his hand in front of his daughter's face. It snapped Rachel out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" she looked up at the man, "Pardon my absent-mindedness, daddy"

"Never mind, we need to get going darling" He grabbed his jacket and put it on, before he grabbed Rachel's red trench coat and held it out for her to slip her arms in.

LeRoy began chuckling, making Rachel wonder why.

"What's so funny?" She asked as she put some finishing touches to her makeup.

"It just hit me you're all grown up now."

"Thanks daddy" She beamed at him. She grabbed her scarf and they headed out the door.

5 minutes later they parked Rachel's car in front of Shelby's house. Rachel noticed Quinn's car was already there.

After ringing the bell, Shelby swung the front door open.

"Hi! I'm so glad you're here, come in!" They hugged her before they hung their coats on the rack. Familiar laughter could be heard through the whole house. She stepped into the kitchen to reveal her dad and Quinn, doubled over in laughter while Beth was covered in gravy. The little girl was the first one to notice her arrival.

"Rachel! Your dad's mean!" The girl pointed at the man for emphasis.

"I know! Try living with him for 18 years" She teased her dad, who had finally stopped laughing.

"Beth, could you go put on different clothes please. You're all covered and I'm afraid you're going to stick to your chair later." Quinn asked the girl, still chuckling.

"I'll tell Shelby everything's ready" Hiram left the two alone.

"Hey! Long time no see" Rachel stepped fully into the kitchen.

"5 days" Is this the first time I've seen her in pants?

"5 long days" When she looked up she saw Quinn's eyes roaming her body. When hazel eyes traveled up, they locked with Rachel's. Quinn was sure the singer's eyes conveyed the same emotion as hers did. Want.

"Girls! Come have a drink!" Hiram's voice broke the spell.

After dinner, they were all stuffed and had been talking instead of clearing the table. Quinn and Rachel were sitting opposite each other, which made it easier to have their own little conversations.

"Once, Coach Sylvester blackmailed the whole team into breaking into the rivaling team's school to steal their cheerleading outfits and equipment. Those poor girls didn't have anything decent left to perform with. It's a given we won." They giggled at the story. "Apparently she hasn't changed a bit. She would do anything to win a competition." Quinn added.

"Honestly, I understand where she comes from. Once I felt threatened by a girl who auditioned for glee club and I sent her to a crack house instead of the audition." Quinn's laugh sent shivers down her spine.

"You did not! I didn't think you had it in you."

"You'd be surprised at what I'm capable of." Rachel replied, purposely dropping the tone of her voice. Quinn could feel her body react immediately.

"Then prove it to me" Quinn challenged, quirking a perfectly sculptured eyebrow.

"So Quinn, have you always wanted to be a teacher?" LeRoy asked, leaning back in his chair. The blonde cleared her throat before answering.

"No I have not. My original plan was to become a writer. Not in Lima, that is." Rachel's head shot up. Quinn did inform her about that once, but it was obvious the blonde didn't want to talk about it.

"What happened? You did get your degree right?" Hiram asked after he sipped his wine.

"I did, but I wanted to be closer to Beth and Shelby at the time" Shelby shot her a smile. The former singer knew that Quinn could always just go and live her dreams somewhere else, and that she and Beth would visit all the time. But a couple of years ago Quinn chose to not take the risk of never seeing them again and stay in Lima.

"Well, it's never too late to chase your dreams, sweetie." LeRoy smiled warmly at the blonde.

"Yes! You once said you wanted to go to New York or LA, then we could come and visit, right?" Beth looks expectantly at Shelby, who nodded in agreement.

Everyone at the table was suddenly talking about how great living in a big city would be and what interesting things they could try out there. In the midst of their talking, Quinn checked her phone and to her delight Puck had texted her that he could come back home for Christmas. She texted an okay back and put her phone away.

After a while they finally got up, pushing the laziness aside. They opted for doing the massive pile of dishes themselves instead of putting them into the dishwasher. Beth was busy drying the non-breakable dishes when Rachel snuck up behind her before wiping her soapy finger behind the girl's ear. She let out a loud squeal, locked eyes with LeRoy asking for approval, which she got immediately, before she stuck her hand into the foamy water and attacked Rachel. In a matter of seconds the kitchen erupted into a fight which contained water, soap and everything messy.

The laughter died down when the realization of how they looked hit them. Quinn's dress was soaked, Hiram and LeRoy's pants were sticky with soap and Beth looked like she had taken a quick dive into Lima's public pool.

"Crazy people! Put down your weapons!" Shelby chuckled loudly.

"Oh my goodness, honey! Look at your shirt!" Hiram pointed to his husband's clothes.

"This was fun!" Beth voiced out her thoughts.

"It sure was" Rachel giggled.

"But let's not do that again some time soon. My kitchen can't deal with this."

"We'll help you clean up before we head home, it's getting pretty late. I have to head to work early tomorrow." LeRoy suggested.

"You don't have to do that, I'll stay behind to clean up. I was the one who started it after all." Rachel cut in.

The two men said their goodbyes, thanking Shelby for the wonderful evening and offering to do this again soon.

"If you girls don't mind, I'm going to help Beth get changed." They nodded as Shelby and Beth headed upstairs.

Shelby's words kept wandering Rachel's mind these past two days. Maybe this is the moment I was waiting for. Why wouldn't I go after what I want? When I wanted Finn's attention, I got it. When I wanted a solo, I got it. Why would I hold back now?

"I didn't know Beth had such good fighting skills." Rachel said to Quinn as they rearranged the kitchen.

"She got that from her father. Although, her perseverance she got from me."

"I bet she'll get everything she wants when she'll put her mind to it."

Quinn hummed in agreement.

"Do you get everything you want, Quinn? When you put your mind to it, that is." She turned her body slightly toward Quinn who was standing a few feet away from her. At hearing the brunette's tone, the blonde stilled her movements for a second, contemplating whether to go along with this or take the safe road.

"In high school I got what I wanted without thinking about the consequences. Now I don't just take what I want anymore." She proceeded with cleaning the counter. The safe road it is.

"And would you be able to disregard the consequences now?"

Quinn stopped cleaning the counter and turned to face Rachel. Screw the safe road.

"Is what I want worth the risk?"

"I am"

"You're sure you're what I want?" She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Otherwise you wouldn't look at me every chance you get." She took a step towards Quinn as she continued, "In our last class I noticed the way you looked at my legs when I walked in or the way you followed my movements when I crossed them." Another step closer.

"I can't help that you're a tease." Quinn willed her voice not to quiver.

"I only tease you" She stopped in front of the blonde, their wet clothes touching.

There was an intense moment in which their lips were only an inch apart. Rachel didn't have to look up due to the fact that she wore heels and Quinn wore flats. Their breaths mingled, their eyes locked, and after a couple of seconds of hesitation their lips crashed together. Rachel pressed her body impossibly closer to Quinn's, making the blonde back up into the counter. They both groaned at the shivers shooting through their bodies. Quinn's hands flew to the brunette's hair while Rachel's hands gripped Quinn's hipbones. Their tongues fought a mild battle as the singer slipped a thigh between Quinn's. The blonde moaned Rachel's name breathlessly as she was trying to feel most of the other woman.

Steps on the stairway made them fly apart. Both searched for something else to do as Shelby and Beth walked back into the kitchen.

Shelby looked at them questionably, seeing as the kitchen didn't appear any different from when she had left 10 minutes ago.

"Let me make a mental note that you guys suck at cleaning up." Shelby said, making Beth giggle. "I'll take this over before you make it worse than it already is." She teased.

"Are you sure? Because we're happy to help." Rachel offered again.

"Thanks but no thanks." She said laughing, as she picked up some dry dishes to put away.

"Alright, Beth, are you going to walk us out?" Quinn asked as the girl was already nodding.

They put their coats on, gave Shelby a hug and made their way outside. The cold air hit Quinn's wet dress, making her shiver.

Quinn bent down to Beth's eye level. "Do want to know something exciting?"

The girl nodded, her eyes already twinkling in anticipation.

"I just got a text from your dad aaaand…" She paused, chuckling with the way Beth groaned out in frustration with her mother's stalling.

"He's coming over for Christmas this year." The hug caused the both of them to almost fall to the ground. The squeal that escaped the little girl's voice was almost deafening. Rachel had to cover both of her ears.

When she had settled down, they hugged her goodbye, making plans for the next days.

The front door closed behind them, as they walked down the driveway toward their cars. As they had to part to get to their cars, they stopped.

"Tonight was fun." Rachel filled the silence, sounding like she had lost her confidence from earlier.

"It was." She turned to Rachel, "do you want to…follow me back to my place?"

Rachel searched her face as if the reason not to would've been written on it.

"I do"

Quinn smiled and leaned in to give her a slow kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you there".

Rachel saw the blonde drive off. She waited for a couple of minutes to drive off, except she had apparently forgotten her scarf. Sighing, she stepped back out of her car and made her way to the front door before knocking.

"Hi darling! What are you doing back? Not that I mind" Shelby smiled. She had already put on her pajamas, probably making herself comfortable to watch some TV.

"I'm sorry to bother you, I forgot my scarf" She chuckled as she made her way inside.

"Here it is!" Shelby handed her the black scarf. "Young people are so forgetful these days. I found Quinn's cell too. It was laying on the floor, I think she might have misplaced it."

"If you don't mind you can give it to me. I'll drop it off at her place, it's not that far out of my normal route to home." She offered, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Sure. That's very nice of you." Shelby handed over the cell.

"Thanks again for this evening, I had a great time." Rachel said, looking at her shoes.

"It was my pleasure honey, I'm still very grateful for the way things have turned out to be." Shelby closed the distance and wrapped her arms around Rachel.

"I'm so glad you're my mom" The younger brunette whispered into her hair, willing her eyes not to water. It was the first time she addressed Shelby as her mom and she felt the impact it had on the older woman because she squeezed her tight.

As Rachel made her way out the door, Quinn's cell rang. Curiousity took over and she glanced at the screen. Of course she regretted it the minute she saw her name pop up. Doubt settled in her stomach. Are they back together? Is she kissing me while she's in a relationship again? Except, the doubts didn't win from the butterflies she felt every time she thought about Quinn. She decided that dropping of her phone would be the civilized thing to do.

When Quinn pulled up in front of her building, she hadn't noticed a different brunette sitting on the stairs, waiting for her. It wasn't until she had already stepped up the first couple of steps that she noticed Gwenn.

"What are you doing here?" She asked perplexed.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm waiting for you." Gwenn stood up, dusting of her behind.

"Yes I can see that. Why are you waiting for me?" The blonde took a step up so she wouldn't be much shorter than the brunette.

"Didn't you get my messages?"

Quinn sighed, "I must have left my phone at Shelby's."

"Well, with it being Thanksgiving and all I wanted to come here and talk things out. I've had a couple of days to let the feelings seep away."

"I want that too but can't we do this another time?" She looked around quickly. She didn't want Rachel to see them together and get the wrong idea.

"Do you need to be somewhere, at this hour?" Gwenn asked suspiciously.

"N-no, it's just late and I'm tired. It's been a long day." Good job Fabray, stutter your way out of this.

As fate wanted it, Rachel's car pulled up in her street. Fuck.

The singer's doubts had been answered when she saw Quinn with Gwenn at her doorstep. Hurt was trying to invade her body but she didn't let it. Instead she powered through. She grabbed the cellphone and got out of her car before making her way up to the pair.

"Good evening Gwenn, nice to see you again." She didn't wait for a reply and didn't say anything to Quinn except, "Shelby asked me to return this to you." She tried to smile but it wouldn't have surprised her if it came across as a creepy twitch. She quickly turned around and made her way toward her car. Despite hearing her name being called, she didn't look back and drove home.

Sighing out in frustration, Quinn turned back to Gwenn, who was giving her a weird look. "What?"

"Are you stupid Quinn?"

A/N: I hope you can appreciate the Rachel-Shelby and Quinn-Beth interaction. There will be a couple of storylines introduced (Puck, etc...), but Quinn and Rachel will always be the main focus of course.

Suggestions? Requests?

See you guys next time!