Hello everyone! So, so very sorry for this long wait. Here's the end, finally and i'll try to keep the updates coming for my other stories.
And thank you for reading my stories!
She walks inside the coffee shop trying to be discreet, at least as much as she manages. Luckily, people seem to be used to her making an appearance in their town, the same city that once upon a time was her home. As one who has just seen something very precious, she smiles brightly when she catches sight of the one who will always be the prettiest girl she has ever seen. Amused, she stops in front of the blonde woman's table.
"Excuse me?" She says sweetly. "Do I know you?"
The blonde woman smiles genially at her.
"Don't tell me." She holds a hand up and then taps the tip of her middle finger on her chin. "New York. That's it! We've met before and it was in New York."
"Not even close..." The blonde woman trails off playful. "You know me from here. Lima, Ohio."
She shakes her head in disbelief. "I would know. I'm certain."
"I guess your mind is playing tricks at you because maybe… you wanted to forget me?"
"And why would I want to forget the most beautiful woman I've ever met?"
"I don't know. I was a bitch to you in high school... So..." She struggles.
"Really?"
The blonde woman rubs her forehead in faux embarrassment. "I'm afraid so. I was a little repressed." She grimaces.
"A little?" She teases as she takes the seat across from the other woman. "Treasure trail? You know what? Looking back now, I should've known Quinn Fabray had the hots for me."
"Yes you should have, you were always so perspicacious. What happened?" Quinn shakes her head playfully. "You were so frustrating. I mean, I kept sending you all those signs and nothing."
"Thank God we have amazing children."
"Yeah." Quinn sighs in bliss. "So, how is Leroy?"
"He's okay. He sent you kisses."
Quinn stands up and she watches in curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna get you coffee."
"My gentlewoman."
"I'm yours."
"It sucks this thing of being a celebrity. I want to kiss you." She pouts and Quinn gets close to her, leaning and kissing her head ever so tenderly.
"Rachel Berry complaining about her celebrity status?"
"I know." Rachel sighs dramatically.
"I'll be right back." Quinn says smiling.
Smiling like a fool or like someone who finally found what was missing in her life, Rachel stares as the blonde walks away and then her mind starts wandering and she thinks about their almost one year together as a coupl
One year ago...
"Alone, at last..."
Quinn says as she closes the door behind her.
"Do you think your mother will mind?"
"What?"
"That we're here... I mean... Does she know?"
"About me or about us?"
"Both."
"Remember that I hooked up with Santana back in-"
"Yes I know." Rachel cuts her off immediately; sure, the rivalry days are over, Santana is now a good friend, but Quinn's sex adventures with Santana is something that certainly brings the green monster to the surface.
Quinn tenses a little, as she knows that the furrowed eyebrows means Rachel is not pleased.
"Anyway, it told her. I was on a break with Puck, I was in college. We were talking about my failed affairs and I said something about trying it with girls since I had enjoyed having sex with a girl. I was only joking or so I thought… Freudian slip I guess… she asked me who. I told her everything."
"And?"
"The only reason she didn't freak out at that time was because she was under the impression it was only a one-time thing, an experiment."
Rachel nods knowingly.
"What about now? You dated a woman. Does she know?"
"Yes, she knows, I told her. It wasn't easy though."
"I can imagine. What did she do?"
"I'm an independent woman. I have my life, my career and she loves Ben. Cutting ties with me means somehow losing her grandson. She pondered on her options and I guess she chose us."
"So she is not completely okay with it? Are you sure it is a good idea for me to be here?"
"No." Quinn shakes her head, smiling happily. "She is totally fine now."
Rachel frowns, as she is confused.
"We have amazing children, don't you know? Ben helped her a lot. She started seeing things through his eyes. Maybe she still has her objections due to a lifetime of closed conceptions and rigid doctrines, but she is more open now."
"That's great." Rachel beams happily.
"It is."
"Do you wanna make out?"
"I thought you'd never ask."
With that, Rachel throws herself on the blonde woman, what she was dying to do since they set foot inside Quinn's old bedroom, and kisses her as they move toward the bed, never pulling away.
Back to the lima beans...
"Earth to Rachel..." Smiling tenderly, Quinn sits again. She places Rachel's cup in front of the brunette.
"Thank you..." Rachel says getting back to the present moment and out of her thoughts.
"What were you thinking? You seemed thoughtful."
"The past."
Quinn frowns worried.
"I mean, this year..." She smiles dreamily. It was a good make out session, but no, they did not sleep together that day. "Us."
"Oh..." Quinn nods as she also has a smile plastered on her face.
"It was a good year, wasn't it?"
"The best."
"I think this has the potential to be the best birthday I've ever had."
"Really? Why?"
"Well… it's the first I'll be celebrating with you by my side as my girlfriend. It seems like a dream come true." She says playfully.
"Too bad I'll ruin your plans."
Rachel stares at her girlfriend a little taken a back.
"Uh?"
"I won't be your girlfriend then…" Quinn says with her eyes shining blissfully. She bites down on her bottom lip nervously as Rachel looks at her a little apprehensive. "I mean, you'll always be my girlfriend. Because I love you and I want us to go out on dates and write silly notes and say silly things to each other and have the amazing sex life we have… gosh what I'm saying…" She places both of her elbows on the table and hides her face behind her hands, sliding them through her hair.
"It is amazing..." Rachel says dreamily, smiling like a fool.
After two weeks of dating…
"Come on Fabray, Spit it! I want to know everything about this unholy union. And yes, I'm talking about the super awkward sex you guys had." Santana teases, as she gets comfortable on Rachel's sofa.
It's the new year already and they are back to New York.
"By awkward she means hot." Brittany adds nonchalantly.
"Britt!" Santana complains.
"Could you stop? The kids might hear it; you guys know how they are nosy…" Quinn reprimands from the armchair, annoyed. The "kids" (Ben, Amy and Toni) are upstairs in Toni's bedroom.
"Correction, Rachel's daughter is nosy. She's been a bad influence to the others." Santana corrects her blonde friend.
"And for the record we decided to go slow..."
"Boring." Santana teases.
"We're not seventeen anymore, okay?"
"So what? Even better, you're not your lame boring teenage self. You actually have some moves now."
"Oh really? How do you know?" Quinn teases. "Oh yes, of course, you-"
"Don't finish that!" Santana interrupts. "Besides idiot. I was talking about Molly. She's told me things."
"And that's why she is my ex..." Quinn purses her lips.
"Yeah right, that's the reason and not your undying love for Rachel..." Santana rolls her eyes.
"Don't blame her. You know Santana, Q."
Brittany points out as her wife looks at her with narrowed eyes.
"What? It's true."
"Point is, this is your chance to make a good impression. I mean, look Rachel's previous relationships, the poor woman probably doesn't even know what's a orgasm..."
"Santana!" Rachel cuts in as she comes back from the kitchen with a bottle of wine. "I'm shocked." She places the bottle on the coffee table. "Not only you insulted my exes, but you also insulted my ability to please myself in one sentence."
"I so didn't want to think about you pleasing yourself..."
"And you better not think about her pleasing herself." Quinn warns her best friend.
"Aw jealous Quinn... Cute!" Brittany teases.
"As Quinn was saying we're taking things slowly." Rachel explains as she sits on the armrest and close to Quinn.
"It's a shame..." Santana shrugs.
"Why?" Rachel asks curious as Brittany smiles fondly at her wife. She knows Santana better than anyone.
"Okay, okay. I admit. I always thought there was something going on between you guys. I sort of..." She throws her hands in the air. "I saw the chemistry between you guys. And it usually helps a lot... with you know..."
"A lot." Brittany agrees.
Rachel smiles at that and looks at her girlfriend as Quinn looks back at her.
"I find it weird that you never teased me because of it. I mean, one suggestion and I would have exploded. You know how I was repressed."
"I don't know, somehow I never felt like teasing you with this."
"Because you didn't know whether it was true or not? I mean, not for sure anyway." Rachel questions her friend.
"No. I guess I never teased you guys exactly because I knew there was something going on."
"Hold on a second." Quinn says. "You did tease us. Senior prom."
"Yes. I remember!" Rachel adds.
"Well... I guess it was a moment of weakness."
"I propose a toast." Brittany says as she fills the glasses with the wine. "To the new couple!"
A couple of days later...
Of course Santana's suggestion was going to tantalize Quinn at some extent.
Overthink. That's what she did.
And overthinking made her a little insecure.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing..."
"Yeah, right. Like I don't know you."
"Really..."
"Quinn, baby. I know you." Rachel smirks seductively. "Was kissing me not that good?"
Tenderly, Rachel lifts her hand and caresses the blonde's hair. Quinn smiles brightly, leans her head down and gives her girlfriend a peck on the lips.
"Do you think Santana is right?" She finally says.
"Is that your way of saying you want to have sex with me?"
"No..." Quinn shakes her head and pulls away.
"I was teasing you." Rachel smiles as she sits up too. "What's the matter?"
"I don't know... I guess I'm just overthinking."
"What you mean?"
"I know you love me."
"But..." Rachel kisses the blonde's shoulder sweetly.
"I'm a woman and you never..."
"Oh..." Rachel sighs as she finally figures out what is troubling Quinn's mind. "I told you already honey. I am attracted to woman."
"How do you know?"
"Baby, stop being your stubborn self. I am attracted to woman. Most important, I'm attracted to you."
"You are?" Smirking, Quinn asks the brunette with her husky tone.
"I've always been attracted to you somehow, I mean, look at you." Rachel licks her upper lip seductively. " Actually, I can show you exactly how much I am attracted to you. And how you turn me on."
"Don't play with fire Rachel." Quinn says as she turns her head to look at Rachel over her shoulder.
"Why not? Now, about the Santana thing..."
Rachel holds Quinn's arms and pulls the blonde down on the mattress, getting on top of her.
"You tell me..." She kisses Quinn's jaw seductively, going up to her ear. "Do you think we have chemistry?" She asks with her voice low and husky.
"We're Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray. Of course we have chemistry."
Saying that, Quinn switches their positions and gets on top of the brunette. She is a grown up woman, she has explored her sexuality thoroughly. Yes, she has some moves now. And Rachel's world is about to be rocked.
Back to the present...
"I can't believe it!"
"Stop being a drama queen..."
"But Ben! That's not fair! And you're a traitor! Why didn't you tell me?"
"My mom just told me yesterday, but guess what? I'm not freaking out."
"She is going to propose to my mom, of course I'm upset she didn't tell me. It has to be perfect. Perfect!"
Agitated, Toni starts pacing on the Fabray's living room.
"Toni, calm down. They love each other. It's going to be perfect anyway."
Their mothers getting married is something they wanted all along. Okay, maybe they are not completely fine with the whole having more children thing, specially Toni. Ben kind of likes the idea of having a brother now. Kind of...
"Look, we got them together. We made it. They are happy and I like seeing my mom happy."
Toni stops her pacing and she smiles her biggest smile.
"And I like that my mother is so much more calm and relaxed now."
"See? No reason to panic. The worst part was done and we came out of the whole thing unharmed."
"Thanks to your mother." Toni points out, rolling her eyes.
Rachel actually wanted to put her grounded, especially when Jacob Ben Israel contacted her to ask about the outcome and whether she wanted or not to turn the story public. Of course the answer was no, she thanked him for keeping the anonymity despite having figured out everything though, especially because it was Beth who asked him to publish it.
He said he understood, it seems he has a sense of loyalty after all, besides, Rachel was his old crush, and he let her down once with the whole pregnancy thing. This was his opportunity to redeem himself. He said he was going to give his readers the happy ending they were expecting, but he was going to keep them in the anonymity. Therewith, Rachel got a little excited with the idea of providing him a few details. She wanted their story to have a romantic and perfect happy ending. Typical Rachel, Quinn said to her at the time.
"Anyway. We'll be fine. My mom is a clever and sophisticated woman. I'm sure Rachel is gonna love her proposal."
"But it needs to be romantic, not sophisticated."
"Since when you're an expert in proposals?"
"I'm an expert in everything."
"You wish..." He rolls his eyes. "It's going to be romantic. Don't worry."
"I hope so." Toni smiles happily.
"Can we go back to the game?"
"Alrighty."
She huffs and they get back to the video game.
Not far from the Fabray's residence...
After almost one year together, Quinn thought the time to propose has arrived. She wanted to do something special, but at the same time, she didn't want to do something too much extravagant. Of course she is aware of Rachel's personality and how the Broadway star was always a fan of extravagant gestures in romantic matters. But that's not how things work between them. Rachel knows Quinn, she knows the blonde is discreet and that she doesn't like her feelings being exposed in front of everyone. Since they started dating she has learned to appreciate the small daily gestures.
Like a poem, a whispered confession of love or a silly note...
"Do you know why I asked you to come meet me here?"
"Coffee?" Rachel tries out playfully.
Quinn shakes her head. She has a straight face.
"Is everything okay? I'm kind of worried now. Are you breaking up with me?" Rachel opens her eyes wide. "Oh my God..."
"No. Baby, I'm not." Quinn takes her girlfriend's hand and caresses it tenderly.
"Oh..." Rachel sighs in relief.
"It was snowing outside. I was sitting right here." Quinn says calmly and Rachel pays attention in her every word. "Your birthday was a week away. Yes, it was exactly the same date as today, but that's only a small part of why I have chosen today."
Rachel nods, her eyes focused on Quinn.
"You walked in with Kurt and Blaine behind you."
They smile at each other.
"Typical." Quinn says teasingly. "You were sixteen going on seventeen."
Quinn couldn't be more sweet in Rachel's eyes. Eyes that are shining with mirth by now.
"And you were very excited with your upcoming birthday. You told them about your Dads' plans. You guys didn't see me at first so I just watched you." She says with a smile on her face as she rubs Rachel's hand with her thumb. "I noticed these little things that are very obvious for me now. For example, I love your laugh as much as I love your smile. It's so easy for me to say it now, but that day, I just thought it was curious how fascinating you were to me. I stared and stared until you finally saw me."
A little shy, Rachel bites down on her bottom lip and says:
"Kurt noticed me looking and then he saw you too. And then he invited you over."
"He did. You didn't."
"I knew how reserved you were. I guessed you were enjoying one of yours alone time."
"I was. And you always got me so well. I wanted to be alone, but I wanted to be close to you too... it was a strange feeling."
"Why are we here Quinn?"
"Think about a apple seed. The seed is sown. Then it grows up into a beautiful tree right?"
"Yes. Why does this have to do with us being here?"
"Because in that day, my love for you was only a seed. And it grew up so much, sometimes I think it can barely fit in my heart." Her voice cracks a little. "Actually it doesn't. It overflows. Now..."
She takes the velvet box from her pocket and opens it in front of Rachel, revealing a bright gorgeous ring.
"It's a beautiful tree."
"Quinn..." Rachel whispers reverently.
A little nervous for some reason, perhaps because she is unconditionally in love with the brunette, more now than ever, Quinn locks her eyes onto Rachel's.
"Rachel, you're my best friend, and I'm more certain than ever that you are the love of my life. I want to get old-older." She smiles playfully. "By your side."
"Stop it. We're not old. I'm only third six." Rachel protests playful and teary eyed.
"Rach?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you marry me?"
Flabbergasted, Rachel tries to speak, but nothing comes out of her mouth. A weird sensation for her, to be speechless.
"I know we're both divorced and that marriage wasn't a great experience for us and maybe we should just move in together like we agreed..." She ends her rambling and rubs her forehead.
"Quinn?"
"Yeah." She looks up and into Rachel's eyes.
"Yes, I will marry you."
Her smile couldn't get any bigger, she actually forgets everything else and focus only on Rachel.
"This is when you put a ring on it."
They laugh, looking like the teenage they were.
"It seems like we're married already. You left me speechless and I made you ramble." Rachel says as Quinn puts the ring on her finger.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
They look at each other and Quinn cups Rachel's cheek, she gets close and kisses her sweetly.
"I thought you didn't like PDA."
"Don't ruin the moment." She bites Rachel's chin tenderly. "Besides, I just proposed my girlfriend..."
"Hm... Yes, you did..." Rachel sighs in bliss.
"So, How do you want to tell them?"
Quinn asks and Rachel's face lights up with pure joy.
A few months later...
Speech! Speech! Speech!
"Really?"
"The people have spoken my love."
With a smirk on her face, Rachel encourages her now wife.
"Yeah. The people." Quinn huffs and looks at Santana. She stands up and the guests' buzz stop, the wedding planner hands her the Mic. "Okay, okay. But only because my wife-" She pauses and smiles. "Did you guys notice? I called Rachel my wife."
"Oh gosh she is regretting." Santana teases.
"No, I'm not. I'm regretting I invited you though."
Smiling, Rachel squeezes her hand.
"Anyway." Quinn continues. "I'm doing this for Rachel of course."
The wedding was a very intimism ceremony, no more than fifty guests. In a very charming garden in Lima, they said their vows to each other before their most beloved friends and their family. Both of Rachel's dads and Judy Fabray watched the ceremony with tears in their eyes. Hiram was the one who cried more, of course. And it didn't matter that it was the second time, his words.
"I guess I said everything I had to say in my vows, but I'm going to try."
"Oh here it goes, she's gonna make me cry again." Kurt places his hand on his chest as Santana rolls her eyes teasingly.
"It might sound strange for some of you, but the idea of Rachel being my friend was something unthinkable. Some of you however know exactly how things were in the very beginning..." She smiles cynically. "What none of you know is that Rachel and I always struggled to fully embrace this friendship. Me especially. I came up with a concept that was perfect for us."
As if looking for her north, Quinn looks down at Rachel who is completely absorbed in her wife's speech. Rachel then smiles because she knows exactly what Quinn is referring to.
"We were kind of friends. Close, but not that close. It took us a long time to realize that the reason we never really assimilate the idea of being close friends was because we were always meant to more."
Some "Aws" are heard.
"As you can see for yourself."
With a serene expression as she is truly happy and complete, Rachel kisses Quinn's hand sweetly.
"But what I want to say is that now that we have everything figured out and that we have no unfinished business with each other we finally manage to be each other's friend. I'm lucky to have you in my life, Rachel, you are my best friend and so much more. So, I'm fixing some huge mistake. Sorry Sam." She turns to her blonde friend and he has a confused look on his face. "You'll understand." She laughs. "I want to sing something to you sweetheart."
"Please." Rachel nods excitedly at the same time that Tina beams euphoric.
"And here I am thinking that Rachel was going to be the singing one in this marriage..." Santana teases again.
"Are you kidding? Quinn is a nerd..." Puck joins the teasing.
"Oh my God is high school again." Kurt says contemptuously and with a hich pitch voice and looks at them with narrowed eyes. "Pretend you guys are adults please."
"Yeah, let's see my ba-" He stops mid-sentence when he sees the look on Santana and Brittany's face. "Quinn... gosh I was only joking..."
"Quiet you guys." Mercedes reprimands her friends discreetly.
In the central table, Quinn takes a deep breath and looking at Rachel she starts singing.
They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you, I promise you I will
.
Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday
But she gets too emotional and she can barely keep on going. Her voice cracking and her eyes full of tears. Then Santana stands up and gets close to her. She helps her friend, she starts singing too.
And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
Though the breezes through the trees
Move so pretty, you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now
Lucky I'm in love with my best friend
.
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday
When they finish, Rachel stands up and hugs her wife tightly as the open air ambience erupts in applause.
"That was so sweet." Rachel says wiping away the tears on Quinn's cheeks. "You too Santana." Rachel addresses to the other brunette.
Santana only struggles, but she is a little teary eyed.
"I hope it was enough for you guys." Quinn says jokingly then she cups her wife cheek and kisses Rachel passionately. When they pull away, they stare at each other with awe and adoration.
"You're getting better with the whole PDA thing." Rachel teases as they sit again.
"Not really. It's just that, have you seen my wife?"
"Speaking of which are you ready for honey moon?" She says suggestively, trying to arch her eyebrow the way Quinn does it.
"Are you serious? I can't wait, the best part? We're going to get rid of those little brats."
"You're going to miss them, won't you?"
"So much!" Quinn pouts as Rachel laughs amused. She then starts caressing the blonde's hair tenderly as she looks at her wife with such love and reverence.
"They'll be fine." She reassures, looking away and towards their children.
"We'll be fine." Quinn says in a more general fashion as she is gazing at their children as well, all of them, including the oldest who is in the middle of an argument with Toni (They fight a lot, but they also have a strong bond, when Beth moved out of NYC, Toni got really emotional) while Ben is teaching Amy how to play the game he loves. They're sitting with the other kids on the "kids table plus Beth". "Can we have more?"
"We'll talk about that later..." Rachel giggles.
"We're definitely not doing anything remotely similar to talking later..." Quinn says with her husky voice.
"Deal."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Seriously though, are we really gonna leave them for one week?"
"Quinn!"
So? I missed you guys! leave a review!
The song: Lucky (glee cast)