"Good morning girls."
"Morning Dad, Daddy." Rachel beamed and gave the two men kisses as she entered the kitchen.
"Hungry?" Joshua asked Quinn.
She nodded. "It smells wonderful. And I want to thank you both for allowing me to stay here."
"Don't mention it. I agree with what Rachel said last night. This is the best place for you right now."
When Rachel was done greeting her fathers she took a seat next to Quinn and placed a chaste kiss to her lips. Quinn smiled at the action. There was no awkwardness or fear of what Rachel's parents might say or think. It was simply a kiss, a show of affection without judgment.
Michael took his seat across from the girls and sipped his coffee before reaching for Quinn's hand. "I'm sorry for that first night. I was out of line. I didn't realize you were in the process of righting some of your wrongs and my guilt trip did nothing to help the fact."
Quinn shook her head at the man's guilt. "You have nothing to apologize for. You were only trying to protect her. I know what she's been through…what I've put her through. She's lucky to have someone like you to look out for her."
"And now," he squeezed her hand supportively. "I am going to protect you as well. I mean, how are you two going to handle this relationship at school?" The two girls quickly exchanged glances. "We haven't actually discussed that yet, Daddy."
"Oh?" Joshua asked as he served everyone their meals. "Well, if I may, I know high school can be difficult, especially for those who are different, but I don't believe hiding who you are will help either of you in the long run."
Rachel agreed but she didn't want to push Quinn. Family and close friends knowing is one thing. School was going to be different. Rachel was already at the bottom rung of the social ladder while Quinn had just reclaimed the top. "Dad, I appreciate your-"
"I agree." The brunette couldn't close her mouth. Quinn reached over and closed it for her. "I agree. Trying to hide everything last year with the baby was-"
"The baby?" The two men asked in unison, searching between the girls for an explanation.
"I hadn't actually told them about that…" Rachel admitted. "It wasn't really my place." Quinn mouthed 'oh' unable to actually speak the word."
Michael cleared his throat. "The baby?"
"I have a baby. Had a baby." There was no point in lying. "Can we just get it all out on the table?"
"I think that may be best." Joshua informed her. Rachel took her hand under the table in support.
"I was the president of the Celibacy Club last year. An honest one. I didn't sleep around with boys or anything like that. But I did make one mistake and I got pregnant. When my parents found out, they threw me out."
Realization struck Michael. "So that's what Rachel meant by you were thrown out again."
Quinn nodded. "I couldn't raise a baby. Puck's a decent guy but he couldn't help me in the way I needed it. I didn't even have a place to call home. I was sleeping on people's couches. So, I gave her to…"
"Shelby Corcran." Rachel added. "So, technically, Quinn's daughter is my adoptive sister."
The room fell silent.
"This is like a mini soap opera." Michael commented. "But this doesn't change anything, Quinn. You are still welcome here. Anyway, back to school."
"Right. After trying to hide the baby drama and lying to everyone, I'm not really wanting to do it all again this year. We don't necessarily have to broadcast it with a formal announcement, but I'm not looking to hide it either." She turned to Rachel and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not ashamed of how I feel. I know we are probably going to get laughed at, called names, and maybe even slushied…"
"But that's what I told Santana I was afraid of." Rachel interrupted her. "How you just managed to get everything back and I was terrified of being the reason you lost it again."
"So that's why Santana's attitude changed over night?" Rachel nodded.
"Santana's one of the cheerleaders, right?" Joshua asked trying to keep up with all the new information. "And she already knows about you two? She's okay with it? She's not harassing you?"
Quinn laughed as she took another bite of her breakfast. "Harassment is sort of Santana's thing. It's just what she does."
"She has no objections, Dad. Her only concern is for Quinn's happiness. In fact, she is…well, her and…" Rachel glanced to Quinn with a blank stare. "I don't know how to explain that."
"More soap opera?" Michael asked leaning in, eager for more gossip.
"Santana and Brittany, another cheerleader, are my two closest friends. They are in what they refer to as an openly closed relationship. They can…be with anyone they want as long as they don't mind if the other was to…be with that person as well…male or female."
"Oh," the men responded in unison again. "Will we get to meet these two?"
"The likelihood is high." Rachel concluded.
~~~/~~~\\\~~~/~~~\\\~~~
The two girls sat quietly in the car in the school's parking lot. Exactly where they were fifteen minutes ago.
"We can do this." Rachel asked more than stated. Quinn nodded her head slowly. Talking about acting normally at school was simple. Getting out of the car and holding hands while hundreds of your peers pointed and whispered…not quite as simple.
There was a tap on the driver's window. "Get your asses out of the car, bitches."
"Motivation has arrived." Quinn announced as she placed her keys in her bag and prepared to exit the car.
Santana studied the on edge pair intently as the left the comfort of the car. "Anything I should know?" Rachel meandered her way to Quinn who took her hand and intertwined their fingers. The Latina let out a long sigh of contemplation. "You've put me in a tough spot. You see, Berry made some valid points this weekend. I had always assumed your freakish friendship would last long enough that everyone would get use to the concept of you two as friends before you pulled out the homo card. Now I have to decide if I let Quinn fumble her way back to the bottom by herself,"
"Santana…"
"Or! If I risk my own status to make sure both of you end up at the top with me…What are you offering me?" She was joking but she wasn't. She liked having the security of an actual friend next to her at the peak of the unstable popularity pyramid, but she was also absolutely terrified of falling from it.
"You have no choice." Rachel played along.
"Excuse me? I always have a choice." Santana snapped her neck with her attitude. "Nobody tells me what to do."
Rachel straightened her posture, lifting her head up high. "You're right. You do have a choice. You can help us or you will fall, because I will tell the entire school that not only did you willingly shove your tongue down my throat and grab my ass, but you propositioned me to join you and Brittany for a threesome."
"Berry…this is why I like you. You remind me of a little me. Of course I'll help you two out."
Quinn let out the breath she had been holding. "You had me worried, San."
The Latina motioned for them to start walking towards the school. "Q, if it wasn't for me, you would still be in denial. But how did this all come about? Yesterday you were wanting to rip Berry's head off."
"Oops…I never did call her like you asked." Rachel confessed.
"I guess now is as good a time as any. San, I moved in with Rachel. Mom kicked me out. There you are, all caught up."
"Uh, okay…I'm sure if I was expecting that, I would have a really snappy and semi humorous comment, but that is waaaaaay the hell out there."
"Hi guys!" Brittany bounced up to the trio, giving hugs all around. "You two are so cute together. Her sweater matches your uniform." Santana and Quinn cringed at the comment.
"Berry, if I am going to be saving your ass on a day-to-day basis now, we are going to have to do something about the way that you dress." Santana raised her hand to halt the refusal. "Let me put it this way. If I have to save Quinn's reputation everyday because of the way you dress…"
"Got it."
Quinn wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulder and pushed space between the brunettes protectively. "We can come up with come sort of compromise with a make over. Something different without being brand new, still Rachel."
"How so?" Rachel asked tightening a grip on the blonde's hip.
"Well, for starters, you are keeping those skirts. I-love-them. But the stockings and penny loafers can go."
"You pervert." Rachel pushed the taller girl away and began putting distance between them.
"Where are you going?"
"To find Finn. I think he deserves to hear about this from me, not his football buddies."
Quinn nodded and blew her a kiss. "See you in class."
"So they did break up. She's not cheating on him with you or anything like that?" Santana asked for clarification.
Quinn nodded. "Some time last week. Things were still awkward between them and finally snapped when she told him that she still came back to my house after their disaster date."
"She didn't tell him that she climbed into your bed, did she?"
Quinn shook her head. "She didn't need to. It was over before she got that far."
~~~/~~~\\\~~~/~~~\\\~~~
"Finn, if it is not too much on an inconvenience, I would like a moment or two of your time."
Finn sighed and shut his locker door. "Rach, I've been meaning to talk to you too. About what you told me…about the kissing."
"Can we discuss this somewhere more private?" Rachel's eyes danced around the passing students. They would all find out eventually but it was a far scarier concept without Quinn at her side. And she certainly didn't want to inform Fin of the developments in their situation with an audience.
Together they entered the empty classroom and took adjacent seats. "I forgive you." He blurted. "You were drunk. Things happen. Granted that is what happened with Puck and Quinn, but that was different. They had sex. You just kissed…you didn't have sex, right?"
Rachel lowered her gaze and shook her head. "I'm happy you were able to forgive my drunken indiscretions, but-"
"No. It's cool" he cut her off. "I mean, you know, the whole girl-on-girl things is kinda hot. So if my girlfriend was to kiss someone who wasn't me, it might as well be a girl."
"Right…about that. Finn," Rachel hesitated. How could she tell me gently so he wouldn't be hurt? Was that even possible?
"We're cool right? We can go back to being boyfriend and girlfriend? 'Cause I missed you, Rach."
"Finn, I can't." She kept her eyes glued to the floor. "I'm seeing someone else."
"Oh,"
"It just happened recently and I thought that it would be best if you were to hear it from me instead of the whispers in the halls." Rachel watched from the corner of her eye as his expression shifted from sadness to anger and he pushed himself out of the chair.
"I don't understand. I thought you always wanted to be with me. I mean, this summer we even…you know."
"I know, Finn and I don't regret that." She didn't. It may not have been the with person she would spend her life with, but he was someone she truly cared about. Secondly, it took the mystery of what it would be like to have sex with a boy away. Now she could focus on her relationship with Quinn and be undistracted. "I just wanted you to hear it from me. I'm sorry." Rachel knew it wasn't enough. He was too mad.
"Right, from you…not the whispers. But why would anyone care about who you were dating?" His words hurt, mostly because they were true. They weren't going to care about who Rachel Berry was dating. They were going to care about who the head cheerleader was dating.
She stoop up and gathered her books. "Because I'm dating Quinn Fabray." She didn't look at him. She walked out of the room to her first class. Unfortunately, it wasn't one she had with Quinn.
~~~/~~~\\\~~~/~~~\\\~~~
Quinn's phone buzzed in her bag. New text message.
-I told him. xR
There was no going back now. Quinn felt a small wave of anxiety roll her stomach as she pressed the buttons on her phone.
-r u alright? How did it go? xQ
-Don't know. xR
-meet me in the bathroom in 10. XQ
By the time Quinn got there Rachel already had tears in her eyes. She rushed to the girl and cradled her in her arms. "It's okay baby. What happened? Why are you crying? What did he say?" A million other questions spewed from her lips, leaving Rachel no time to answer.
"It wasn't him." The brunette mumbled into the cheerleader's uniform.
"Then what was it?" Quinn pulled Rachel away from her and gently wiped away the tear residue.
Rachel shook her head in embarrassment. "Nothing. It was nothing." The blonde raised her infamous eyebrow indicating her unwillingness to accept that answer. "I was just scared and then I realized I was only scared because you weren't there which in turn scared me more because I have never been so emotionally dependent on another individual and it was as if it all came crashing down on me when I realized I wouldn't see you until next period and would have to suffer through it on my on until then."
Quinn stood straight up. "I actually followed that." Rachel rolled her eyes and turned to wash her face in the sink. "Rachel, look, I understand. I do! Things are just easier when we are together, when we have that hand to hold." She took the diva's hands and kissed them. "But I can't always be right there. I would be if I could. I swear." She leaned down and capture the pair of full lips, lingering for a second in her need.
"Can we stay here and do that all day?" Rachel asked trying to hide her growing smile while she stared at the inviting lips in front of her.
"Believe me, if I could do that as well, I would."
"One more?"
Those chocolate eyes melted Quinn's resistance and she pulled the girls closer. The kiss deepened as Rachel lifted herself onto her toes and cupped her girlfriends cheek. The brunette ran her tongue along her bottom lip, begging for the entrance which she received. As their tongues massaged one another the girls felt their need burning in the pit of their stomachs.
"You're going to get me in trouble," Quinn pulled away reluctantly and put a few steps between them.
"So?" Rachel attempted to close the gap but Quinn had made it to the door.
"So, I don't think you dads would approve of us getting detention for skipping class so we could ravage each other in the bathroom."
"Ravage?" Rachel like the blonde's word choice.
"Yeah, that's what I'm going to do to you if I don't get back to class now."
"Party pooper."
Quinn rolled her eyes. "But you don't love me any less." And with that she disappeared down the hall.
~~~/~~~\\\~~~/~~~\\\~~~
The day progressed smoothly and while some students noticed the girls' closeness, Quinn and Rachel hadn't displayed anything out side of the 'friends' realm. Subconsciously they avoided kissing in the hall ways but never hid their hand holding. Quinn figured that compared to Brittany and Santana's pinky holding, she and Rachel came off as normal friends. Perhaps it was best. They weren't hiding but they weren't putting it all out there. The real test was going to be glee.
"Alright guys, take your seats so we can begin." Mr. Schuester took notice as the former rivals entered with their hands clasped together. "Well, ladies, I am glad your assignment has led to a friendship. This is what I was hoping for."
The girls blushed as they took their seats next to each other, parting hands. Rachel hated to let go but holding on would have drawn too much attention. Quinn, on the other hand, didn't seem worried and rested her arm along the back of Rachel's chair, running her thumb lightly on her shoulder.
"Have you two come up with a song? Would you be able to go today?"
"Actually, Mr. Schuester, we are in need of a few more days."
"You have had two weeks already, but okay. I look forward to hearing you ding. I'm just glad you have worked out your issues."
"That's not all they've worked out." Santana mumbled, earning her glares from both girls. "Get over it."
"Alright, some of you have already gone. Quinn and Rachel aren't ready…Santana? How about you and Artie?"
"Sorry. It's difficult for a cheerleader and a kid in a wheelchair to find something in common." Couldn't argue with that.
"Puck and Finn? How about it?"
Neither boy spoke. Puck reclined against the back wall in boredom while Finn stared off into heated space with aggravation plastered across his face.
"Finn?" the teacher coaxed him out of his trance. "Are you and Puck ready for your presentation?"
He shook his head. "Not yet, Mr. Schue." He grumbled.
"Come on you guys. You have had how long to do this now. What are you doing with your time?" His answer was directed at everyone but Finn took in personally.
"What do you expect? This isn't fair."
"Finn, calm down."
"No! You make me work with the guy who got my ex-girlfriend pregnant while you allowed her to steal my new one. This is a bunch of crap."
"Finn, just calm down." The teacher approached the fuming giant but he quickly left the room.
Eyes wandered around the room for an explanation for the boys outburst and settled on the blonde and brunette. Rachel physically sank in her seat while Quinn continued the comforting shoulder rubs.
"Ah, man…this is just messed up." Mercedes commented.
"I agree," Kurt added staring at the two in disbelief. "Hell has indeed froze over."
Waves of realization rippled through the remaining members and hit the dumbfounded teacher last. Rachel wanted nothing more than to run from the room and hide from all the unwanted attention. The only thing that kept her from leaving was Quinn. The blonde reached down and took her and in her own and squeezed it tightly.
"Hey, People." Santana shouted. "Lets move on shall we?" Puck opened his smirking mouth to say something. "Don't even think about it Puckerman. Mr. Schue…teach!"
"Okay." He agreed and began his lecture.
Quinn leaned over and pecked Rachel on the cheek. "It's okay."
"And I thought you would be the one struggling with this." Quinn smiled.
A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They really push me to keep going. I've got the next few chapters all planned out but feel free to let me know if there is something you'd like me to touch on. Deffinetly going to hit some humor and fluff soon. Always a good combination.