Title: Bet You Didn't Know That (Part Nine)
Author: amaltheaz / pseudohuman
Pairing/s: Rachel/Quinn
Rating: PG-13
Length: 11,704 words
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or anybody in Glee. And this is so not used for profit.
Spoilers: Up to Ballad, then AU-ish (unless when canon is used)
Author's Note: Wow, you guys really don't like Finn, huh? He knows he totally won Douche of the Year. And I know you want me to make him work his ass off to rectify his mess, don't you? We'll see him trying to slowly make it up to Rachel, and very, very slowly forgiving Puck and Quinn. We also have Quinn talking to Mr. Schue. The only reason I have this scene is because I wanted a sort of closure for the Will/Terri thing. I've also been going back and forth about what to do with Quinn's baby. Give her away, keep her, etc. etc. Actually those are the only two options; I don't know why I said "etc, etc," there, lol. Oh and Quinn's parents make a cameo. And I mean 'cameo' because they don't have any lines, haha. I'm just not sure how to write them yet and whether I should keep them canon or not, so for now... All you get is a mention of them.
Author's Note #2: You know, I enjoy writing the girls' friendship so much that I forget that I want to move them forward to a romantic one. And cute, fluffy moments aside, I worry that when it eventually happens, there will be chorus of unimpressed "Oh, is that it?", lol.
Author's Note #3: Any medical stuff to do with the pregnancy, I'm writing from my cousins' and sisters' experiences. And one thing I have consistently learned from them all is that I am never bearing children, lol. Oh and also, women are goddesses for being able to bear them at all. I am a wuss, yes.
Bet You Didn't Know That
Part Nine
Currently, Mr. Schuester is going around the music room, writing down on the whiteboard the various song suggestions for Regionals from the group. They couldn't be more surprised though when Finn unceremoniously shuffles into the room, both hands jammed in his jacket pockets with a blank look on his face. There is a tense silence as he surveys the room until his eyes finally settle on both Rachel and Quinn.
The pregnant blonde bristles at his unflinching stare, especially on the brunette next to her and she instinctively reaches out to Rachel. Even though Rachel denied that the incident didn't leave her a little rattled, the barest hint of fear in brown eyes and the strong, frightened grip on Quinn's hand lets her know otherwise. After the small brunette told Quinn about the confrontation between her and Finn, a rush of protectiveness towards Rachel and anger towards Finn, came over her. And Quinn is determined to make sure that Finn won't scare or intimidate Rachel like that ever again. In the corner of her eye, she can see Santana who had been previously sitting just a short distance away of them, subtly inching closer, she is sitting just slightly in front of them; achieving her goal of obscuring Finn's view of Rachel.
This is the first time he sees them in the same room together, sharing the same air space, since the day of Sectionals and the anger still boils deep inside him and he knows that forgiveness is still a long while to go. Finn finally notices Santana filling his vision, understanding from the scowl on her face that he is definitely not in her good books right now. Guilt flares in his heart seeing the timid look on Rachel's face and he hates himself for being the cause of it. He prays that they can see the sorrow in his eyes, for misdirecting his unbalanced emotions onto somebody who has done nothing to deserve it.
By now, everybody in the club has heard about what happened between their co-captains and they sit silently, frozen in their seats as they all wait to see what he is going to do. A simultaneous inaudible sigh of relief is released when Finn shifts his gaze to their teacher who is looking at him worriedly. He greets him in a quiet, civil voice, "Hey Mr. Schue."
"Welcome back, Finn." Mr. Schuester slowly approaches the taller boy, keeping a cordial smile on his face. "We missed you last week," he tells the tall boy, reminding everyone of Finn's absence from every Glee rehearsal the week before. Will mentally braces himself in case something breaks out where they need him to step in to mediate for them.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Finn shrugs. "I just needed some space," he simply replies, not wanting to offer any further explanation towards his absence. They don't need to know that he has been taking the time away from everybody to think and get his head back on straight.
Mr. Schuester nods knowingly, innately understanding Finn's request for privacy. "Well, I'm sure that I say this for everybody, we're glad you're back."
Save for the four girls and Puck, a murmur of agreement echoes around the room and a wry smile crosses Finn's face. "Thanks guys." As Finn takes his seat, he feels a hand on his shoulder and he turns around to see Matt giving him a supportive smile. He realizes how much he has missed this, the easy, accepting camaraderie in Glee club and Finn resolves to throw himself into singing his heart out, hoping that the pain of losing the baby and a love he never really had will soon fade away.
He glances over at Rachel and Quinn, bringing his gaze down to see linked hands and a pale thumb rubbing the back of a tanned hand. Finn feels weirdly glad that they have each other, somehow realizing that he hasn't seen them this relaxed and comfortable with anybody else before. Looking over at Puck, he feels a flash of pain at his best friend's betrayal. During his time away, he realized that while he hates what they did, he can't find it in himself to actually hate them. He hopes that one day soon, like Rachel hoped too, they'll all be friends again even though it will take some time before he can get over his anger towards Puck and Quinn. And then to earn Rachel's forgiveness for the way he acted but he is willing to work for it. He has a gut feeling that Quinn and Santana aren't going to make it easy for him anyway.
The next few days pass by without incident for the two girls and they are more than happy that everything seems to be returning to normal. It is lunch period now and they are sharing their time with Brittany, Santana and Kurt in the music room. Rachel is regaling them with how her morning went as they sat in a circle, eating their lunches and Quinn is beside her, giving her a very skeptical look. "He tried to smile at you?"
Rachel nods excitedly. "Yes. We were leaving class and Finn actually said 'Bye Rachel', then his lips kind of curved upwards, slowly and with very much difficulty. Kind of like when Santana tries to stop herself from smiling at me but she just can't help herself anyway."
Giggles ripple within the group as the aforementioned Cheerio narrows her dark eyes, glaring at the smaller brunette. She catches on quickly though that Rachel is teasing her when she notices that Rachel's brown eyes are sparkling with mirth. Santana gives her a dry smirk, inwardly annoyed that Rachel doesn't seem to be as scared of her anymore. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Berry," she mumbles.
Rachel grins sheepishly. "I'm sorry that I'm happy that he doesn't look like he wants to Kevorkian me anymore." The blonde beside her blanches at Rachel's grim choice of words resulting in her spluttering out her lunch. Rachel smiles apologetically, quickly rummaging through her backpack for tissues that Quinn can use. "I'm just saying, maybe next time he tries to talk to me, you guys won't growl at him or something?"
"We do not growl. We are not dogs," the brunette Cheerio protests, sitting back against her chair as she crosses her arms defensively.
"Santana, you were practically baring your teeth at him yesterday," Rachel lightly berates her. She still finds it truly amazing (miraculous even) how one of the many people who had taken pleasure in tormenting her before, is now one of the few she can call 'friend' and is actually... Protecting her?
The Cheerio stamps her feet on the floor impatiently. "If you had your midget toes trampled on a million times by his huge clown feet, you would have 'bared' your teeth at him too!" Santana lets out an exasperated sigh when she sees Rachel begin to pout and she wonders when the hell she became such a softie for Rachel Berry. She glares at Quinn who has been silently watching their back-and-forth with a disgusting smirk on her face, recognizing that Santana is going to give in to Rachel. "Urgh, fine! I won't do anything. But I'm still not leaving you alone with him."
Rachel nods discerningly, having guessed Santana would say that and she gives the Cheerio a small grateful smile. "Thank you Santana," she sings, teasing the Cheerio.
"Whatever," the taller brunette grumbles. In her mind, she is plotting ways in which she can exact her revenge on Finn's massive feet. Maybe that will teach him to learn the steps faster so he can leave her poor toes alone.
They sit in companionable silence as they continue to eat their assorted lunches except for Kurt who is still trying to absorb this new situation. Mercedes is supposed to be here with him but she is talking to a teacher about working for extra credit so he is left alone to observe the dynamic between the four girls. A couple of months ago, he didn't really think much of it when Brittany started talking to Rachel because the tall blonde talks to everybody. And he can only guess that she is the reason that Santana tolerates Rachel at all now. Though with the way she talks to Rachel, Kurt doesn't really know how to describe that relationship just yet. Kurt remembers having to literally do a double-take when he first saw Quinn and Rachel sitting together in the music room during Glee, talking in a very friendly manner. It surprised him even more to see them bantering with no awkwardness that should have been there for two people who allegedly hated each other. And he recalls the way the two cheerleaders and former cheerleader seemed to refer to Rachel while they were going through their Sectionals crisis and they revealed that they were indeed spies for Coach Sylvester (therefore proving him right. He is still waiting for that apology).
All in all, it is extremely mind-boggling and he wonders when exactly did he step into this alternate universe where Brittany, Santana and Quinn are willingly spending their time with Rachel Berry. A universe where Finn avoids most of them (except when he is apparently trying to smile at Rachel) because of a secret that Quinn, Puck and apparently Rachel, kept from him. Kurt can't imagine what it must have been like for Finn to find out that his best friend and girlfriend betrayed him like that. And it surprised him even more that Rachel had actually known about it for over a month, and didn't run straight to Finn at the very second that she knew.
With his thoughts still spinning around, Kurt is taking note of the very little space between the former Head Cheerio and the diva. "I actually thought that Rachel would be the one to tell Finn." He slaps his mouth in shock realizing that his thought filter has completely left him. The girls' heads whip up in reaction to his left field comment, the four of them wondering what prompted him to say that. And from the varying stares of confusion on their faces, worry begins to bubble in the pit of his stomach that he might have just opened a can of worms. Rachel's eyebrows are knitted together into a curious frown. Figuring that she needs a little clarity, he adds, "You know, because you liked Finn? Actually, I'm surprised that you aren't standing by his side and taking advantage of him in vulnerable state."
Rachel barely manages to hide the sharp intake of breath, stung by Kurt's blunt words but Quinn still hears it and icily glares at the boy. "Don't say crap like that to her," she quietly warns him, a hint of caution in her voice. A small hand envelops hers and she turns her head to face Rachel, giving her a lopsided smile with reassurance in her hazel eyes.
Kurt's blue eyes curiously zero in on the very comfortably intertwined hands in front of him, wondering when that happened. And he picks up on the soft look in Quinn's hazel eyes as she stares into Rachel's. He pushes it to the back of his mind to think about some other time (in other words, gossip time with Mercedes) as he shrugs and haughtily lifts his chin, not heeding the forewarning that Quinn gave him. "Excuse me? But our dear Miss Berry here has never once tried to hide her embarrassingly hideous crush on Finn and I'm merely asking why she hasn't taken the opportunity to pounce."
As Quinn opens her mouth to snap at him, she gets cut off when Santana snorts loudly in amusement. "Oh, like you tried to hide your own 'embarrassingly hideous' crush on Finn, you mean?" She sneers seeing Kurt flustered that his secret crush isn't such a secret after all and his whole face blushes red. Rachel takes pity on Kurt, thinking that he looks like he's trying to induce a heart attack just so he can be free of Santana's burning eyes, and knowing that the Cheerio has more things she wants to say to shame the poor boy and that the blonde beside her is also itching with something to say.
"Santana, Quinn, it's okay," she says, hoping to placate the temperamental brunette and the very hormonal pregnant girl. When she sees Quinn's reluctance to back down, Rachel applies a bit of pressure on the blonde's hand, wordlessly telling her to let it go. Quinn rolls her eyes, taking her hand back as she grunts in defeat.
Disappointed at the loss of Quinn's hand in hers, the singer gets the feeling like she is being tag-teamed when Brittany starts to growl, "No Rachel, it is so not okay." Brittany doesn't show it but she really hates it when Rachel lets people like Kurt and Mercedes say such mean things about her and not do anything about it. Rachel told her once that she just knows that it is better to wisely pick her battles, whatever that means. Sure, Brittany can admire the small brunette's forgiving quality but sometimes she would kind of like to see Rachel fight back.
Rachel shakes her head. "No Britt, it is. I know that Kurt doesn't mean any harm." She turns to look at him, silently telling him to agree and Kurt vigorously nods his head, gratitude and an apology clouding his icy blue eyes. "And I've heard far worse things, so really, it's fine." So frank in its manner was Rachel's statement and Quinn and Santana cannot help but wince at the reminder of when they were the source of those 'far worse things'. Nobody knows how to respond because they can't exactly refute something they know as true so they sit silently glancing between each other as Rachel thoughtfully looks down to the floor.
Taking advantage of the reprieve, Kurt gets up from his seat, announcing in a hurry, "I'm going to go... Far away now. Good day ladies." He walks off before anybody else can reply and the girls watch as he quickly escapes out of the room, in search of Mercedes.
A few still minutes pass when Rachel quietly murmurs, "I might have considered it, if I had found out from somebody else."
Not giving anybody ample time to react or reply, she quickly adds, "But I found out from Quinn, albeit completely by accident on her part," she giggles making Quinn blush as they both recall the way Quinn had rambled on and on about why she found it strange that her baby was kicking for Rachel, and then unknowingly revealing her secret. She sets her gaze downwards, pressing a hand on her stomach, feeling the reason that she is here now. Her baby is kicking enthusiastically, drawing a content smile on Quinn's lips. And like always, Rachel sighs, charmed by the breathtaking picture that Quinn presents.
Santana watches Rachel stare longingly at the undiscerning blonde, and she rolls her eyes at how sickeningly obvious the two girls are. How they don't seem to notice their feelings for each other at all, Santana doesn't know. She senses though that there is more that they want to say to each other but are too afraid to do so in front of her and Brittany so she sighs tiredly, "Bored now." She gives Brittany a meaningful glance, hoping the tall blonde would get the hint that she wants to get out of the room and leave the other two girls to talk about... whatever.
Rachel chuckles good-naturedly at Santana's dry remark, then she nudges Quinn's shoulder, garnering a demure smile from the blonde.
Brittany takes a second longer before she catches on to the look in her girlfriend's dark brown eyes, and starts to stand up. "Want to go find an empty closet and grope each other for the rest of lunch?"
Santana snickers when she notices both Rachel and Quinn blush at her girl's lack of modesty. She lifts her chin to look up at Brittany and smirks lasciviously. "Best offer I've had all day." Santana grabs Brittany's hand and begins to drag her out of the room; leaving the two flustered girls to their own devices. "Later losers."
They both wait for the door swing to a close before Rachel sighs, having guessed that the previous conversation was still present in the blonde's mind. She turns to Quinn with a serious expression on her face. "Quinn, I've never lied to you, have I?" Rachel waits for the pregnant girl to shake her head before continuing, "Do you remember what it was like before we were friends?" The blonde frowns in response and guilt clouds hazel eyes, memories of slushies and taunting insults running through her mind. Rachel picks up Quinn's hand, threading their fingers together and gives her a forgiving smile, silently apologizing for the reminder.
"We may not have thought of each other as enemies but we still weren't really that nice to each other, were we? We both know now that I didn't hate you but it also didn't necessarily stop me from chasing after Finn when you two were together," she adds with regret in her tone.
It is a difficult thing, dredging up their stormy history and it is very likely never going to stop being an issue for them. Quinn feels horrible for all the time she stood by and laughed maliciously as Rachel received the slushie treatment from the high school elite. Her conscience gets another beating when memories of "Man-hands" and "RuPaul" echo in her mind. And Rachel will never forget the way she doggedly pursued Finn despite knowing that Quinn was his girlfriend. Especially now that she has taken a much closer inspection to how she truly feels for the girl that used to torment her on a daily basis.
"If this had happened back then, yes, I most likely would have told him. Not because I had feelings for him. I have come to realize that any feelings I had for Finn, while very real, they weren't actually feelings of love. Admittedly yes, I had a crush on him. But who wouldn't? He's the popular jock with a big heart. Granted, we haven't seen much of it lately but we can excuse him for that considering what he is going through-" Rachel stops in her tracks when she sees an amused eyebrow quirking in her direction and she smiles sheepishly. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"It's okay. I'm kind of used to it by now." Quinn lightly chuckles when Rachel's cheeks redden. She picks up from Rachel left off, "So you would have told him whether you had feelings for him or not."
Rachel nods. "Yes. I would have told him anyway because he is my friend. I would have told him because you and I weren't friends then, so I had no loyalty to you to keep quiet."
Quinn can't fault Rachel for being so straightforward with the truth, as hurtful as it may seem. Actually, she kind of admires the brunette for her strong sense of duty to Finn and she is more than grateful that she herself gets to experience that same unfailing allegiance. She hopes that she won't do anything to lose that. "Good thing I got to you first then, huh?" the blonde quips. Rachel gives her a smile that fills her heart with warmth.
"I'd like to think you got to me just in time," Rachel murmurs, gazing intently at the blonde and Quinn glows as she returns the stare, her heart racing at the implicit meaning of Rachel's words. The bell rings signaling the end of lunch and it breaks spell they were under. They shake themselves out of the stupor and start cleaning up the remnants of their lunch.
After they're done, just as Quinn makes a move towards the door to head to her next class, she feels a tug on her hand keeping her back and it's Rachel trying to get her attention. "I'm sorry if what I said hurt you but I just want you to understand, truths are or can be unpleasant but I never want to lie to you, Quinn. That's not who I am," she firmly declares.
Quinn rests her hands on her swollen stomach, smiling ruefully, "But that's who I am. I lied... To everybody."
The smaller girl adamantly shakes her head. "No, that's who you were. You've told the truth, many unpleasant truths in fact, and here you are now, lie-free." Rachel pulls her hand away to slide her arm around Quinn's waist instead, coaxing the blonde to come closer. Quinn wraps her own arm around the brunette's shoulders. And as she stands there, her body comfortably pressed against Rachel's, she leans her head against Rachel's and she soaks in the tender moment that they're sharing, not caring that she will be late for class. "I told you that you were a brave person, Quinn Fabray," Rachel whispers reverently.
Tears begin to well up in hazel eyes as a burst of hormones shoot through her, touched by the pride in Rachel's voice and it was because of her. She did something that made Rachel proud of her. And really, it's kind of an awesome feeling to have Rachel look at her like she just fixed the world or something equally amazing. "Guess I should start listening to you, shouldn't I?" she asks, a whimsical smile playing on her lips.
"Well I have been trying to tell you and everybody else the very same thing but none of you seem to believe me," the brunette admonishes jokingly and shakes her head. "It's almost like you guys just don't appreciate a gift when you see it," Rachel sighs dramatically.
Quinn smirks. "Rach, I think you appreciate yourself enough for all of us," she teases. Rachel pouts and storms off. Quinn's eyes follow the smaller girl who then turns around to playfully stick her tongue out at the blonde and Quinn can't help but laugh at how ridiculously precious Rachel can be.
School has just let out for the weekend and Quinn finds herself knocking on Mr. Schuester's office door. When she hears him telling her to come in, she braces herself, gaining the strength to not back out. "Hey Mr. Schue." She gives him a small smile, unsure if he wants to retract his welcome now that he sees who it is.
"Quinn, what can I do for you?" Will stands up when he sees Quinn, honestly surprised to see the pregnant girl in his office. Glee had only just ended a few minutes ago and he wasn't expecting a visit from anybody.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asks, noting the bandage that is still wrapped around his hand. Her mind flashes back to almost three weeks ago when she saw a fist furiously punching a wall and she inwardly winces at the memory. "It won't take long, I promise."
He nods, indicating for her to come inside. "Sure. What about?"
She walks in and examining his appearance, taking in his curly hair, more disheveled than ever and the creases in his clothes that suggests that he hasn't ironed them properly or at all. She figures the best way to about this conversation, is to be direct and unapologetically blunt.
Basically, be Rachel.
"I know you've been sleeping in your car, Mr. Schue, most likely since the day Rachel and I were at your house." Her teacher takes on a look of mild surprise; whether it's because of her lack of tact or the fact that she knows about his homeless situation. When he looks away to avoid her searching eyes, Quinn immediately feels bad and decides to hold back just a little bit. "What's happening between you and Mrs. Schuester?"
At the mention of his wife, Will tenses, feeling the same flurry of hurt and anger every time Terri crosses his mind. He gives Quinn what he hopes looks like a reassuring smile, getting up from his own chair to sit on the edge of the table in front of Quinn. "You shouldn't be worrying yourself about that, Quinn. This isn't your problem."
Quinn chuckles bitterly and shakes her head. "Considering that I was about to give your wife my baby, it's more like I am the reason that you're here," she replies, giving him a deprecating smile as she takes a seat on the chair nearest to the door.
He gazes intently into worried hazel eyes and his heart fills with pride with how far Quinn has gone, remembering the days when she would talk to him with something akin to disdain. He kneels down beside her, gently taking her hand. "Hey, you did nothing wrong. You told the truth and that is the most important thing."
The blonde sighs, pulling away from him. She knows that she did the right thing, making Terri tell Mr. Schuester the truth, but it still doesn't stop the guilt from erupting inside her, especially now, seeing him appear so haggard and so lost. "Do you hate her?" she softly asks, her voice small and almost child-like in its tone.
He gives her a warm smile. "No, I don't hate her," he answers in a firm but soft tone. They have been together for too long and while it may not have been good lately, the time before was pretty good. Terri is his high school sweetheart, how could he ever really hate her? It's just that right now, he can't look at her without feeling the urge to make her feel the same hurt that he feels. And he knows that if he goes home, she'll be there waiting for him. He has been back to pick up spare clothes and she was there, hoping that he was there to reconcile with her. He knows that she can easily find refuge at her sister's place and it spares him a little comfort that she hasn't run away.
Quinn leans forward in her seat, her hands folded together in front of her. "I don't know if it helps but, she really does love you, Mr. Schue," she attests. "I mean, granted, she should have told you, but I bet she regrets that. I know I regret not telling Finn in the beginning."
"Why didn't you tell him?" he asks. A part of him thinks that maybe if he knows why Quinn lied, maybe he can understand why Terri did the same thing to him because even after weeks of space from her, he still can't wrap his head around what Terri did. He still can't get over his anger because he just doesn't get how Terri had let herself be convinced to lie to him like that and to think that it was somehow the right thing to do.
The pregnant girl shrugs, answering simply, "Because he loved me. Because I was afraid of losing that love to be left with nothing." There is no better reason for anything that Quinn did, other than fear. And it's only a logical assumption that it was the driving force behind Terri's own actions. Especially the fear of losing the one person who you knew would take care of you, no matter what happened. Except of course, when they actually find out that you lied to them.
"You don't think if you told him the truth at the start, he would have stayed with you?"
She loudly snorts in disbelief at his naïveté. "Would you have stayed if Terri told you that she didn't have the baby?" she counters, challenging him.
Will nods in defiance. "Yes, I would have. My feelings wouldn't have changed. I wouldn't have left her then."
Quinn wants to believe that he is telling the truth, that he would have stayed with Terri if she had told him the truth in the beginning. But from what she has seen of their relationship together, maybe this baby drama was needed for them to see just what was wrong in their marriage. Because Quinn sees the way Mr. Schuester has been sidling close to Miss Pillsbury in the school hallway, the intimate way he talks to her as if there is nobody else in the room. Just like the way she saw Finn and the way he was acting with Rachel in the beginning.
The parallel between his relationship with Terri and her own relationship with Finn is so obvious that she is sure that he has caught onto it. The fact that both she and Terri were so willing to lie to keep the men in their lives because deep down inside, they didn't know if there is be another person who would love them like that. And that both men were so willing to believe the carefully constructed lies that were presented to them about babies that were either never there or never theirs in the first place.
She wonders if he realizes the lengths that she and Terri went to manipulate both him and Finn to keep them by their side due to the rebirth of Glee club. Just like she saw Glee club as a threat to her relationship with Finn, Terri Schuester saw it as a threat to her marriage with her husband.
"Is it really such a mystery why she kept it from you though? It was the first time in a long time since you showed any real interest in her."
"She didn't show any interest when I wanted to teach Glee," he retorts petulantly. "If I listened to her then, I wouldn't be here for you guys, would I?"
Quinn rolls her eyes at his childish behavior. "Don't get me wrong, Mr. Schue, we appreciate what you're doing for us. But this is about you and your wife, not us," she points out. "You guys were in a rut. And now, you have Glee. What did she have?"
"She had me," he replies resolutely. Will had always figured that Terri had her work at Sheets N Things, her hobbies and him. He didn't think she needed anything else. Terri always seemed so confident and self-assured, and he was always perfectly fine with her pushing him to do more, to be better. And that had been the way it was between them for most of their marriage. Until he started talking to Terri about Glee and she just shot him down every single time. She never seemed to support him at all. Glee made him so happy and he thought that Terri would have been happy for him. She should have been happy for him.
To his surprise, Quinn laughs, giving him a disturbingly penetrating smile. She shakes her head at his ignorance, understanding Terri's actions a little bit more. "Did she really, Mr. Schue? Because it looks more to me like Miss Pillsbury had you." Since Miss Pillsbury didn't go through with marrying Coach Tanaka, Quinn has noticed Mr. Schuester sharing lunch period with Miss Pillsbury in her office more often than usual. And it really does remind her of the times that Finn ditched her for Rachel and Glee.
"Has you, even," she adds as an afterthought.
"Miss Pillsbury and I are just friends," he declares, standing to return to his former position on the table. His tone is insistent and defensive at the same time, letting Quinn know that even he doesn't seem to believe what he's saying.
"Don't lie to me, Mr. Schue. I'm pregnant, not stupid," she rebukes impatiently.
"When you have somebody like Terri tearing you down almost constantly, you'd want to have somebody like Miss Pillsbury to bring you back up," he lamely claims, trying to justify himself.
"My parents tore me down almost daily, so yeah I do understand, Mr. Schue," she snaps, staring harshly up at her teacher until he shamefully rips his eyes away. Quinn sighs, feeling exhausted. "Look Mr. Schue, I know that we basically made Terri tell you the truth, but don't do what she did. Don't keep the truth from her. Tell her if it's over. Because that woman is most likely going insane not knowing." Deciding that she is done, Quinn carries herself off the chair and walks to the door.
Mr. Schuester frowns, realizing the intent behind Quinn's impromptu visit. "Why are you helping her? She tried to take your baby away from you," he tactlessly reminds her and Quinn stops just at the door, her whole body stiffening. She rests her hand on her stomach, feeling intermittent thuds against her palm.
"Because," she begins, keeping her back to her teacher, "I know what it's like to be her. I know what it's like to live with the lie that you told to stop yourself from losing everything and to deal with it every day. It might not have looked like it, but I'm sure it was killing her to lie to you. It killed me not telling Finn. The difference is that I know now that I didn't love Finn. But Terri, she loves you. You were her reason for everything that she did. And I know you've probably been taking the time away from her to process all this. It takes awhile to get over the anger, I understand that. Finn is trying to forgive but I know that it's still a long way off before he can truly forgive us. But you're not sixteen anymore, Mr. Schue. You can't just run away from something like this for too long."
With her final words still echoing through the room, Quinn turns the doorknob and walks out of Mr. Schuester's office, leaving him to truly think about the future of his marriage.
While Quinn is talking to Mr. Schuester, Rachel is outside in the school hallway, waiting for the blonde to come out of his office. Quinn had explained earlier that she wanted to talk to Mr. Schuester about Terri. The blonde seemed to feel like she was obligated to talk to him and Rachel didn't argue or press for anything, knowing that it's none of her business what Quinn is talking about with their glee club teacher.
Before this, Rachel had been in the auditorium getting in some much-needed practice as Regionals is less than two months away. She stopped after fifteen minutes though when she realized that she sorely missed having a certain blonde be there to watch her which is why she is now leaning back against a random locker with her arms crossed as she patiently waits for her friend. Rachel wonders if this is how it's going to be now, that she is unable to sing unless Quinn is in the room with her. `
She resolves to worry about it at another time when the door opens to reveal Quinn so Rachel pushes off the metal door, striding towards the blonde. "Hey, how did your talk with Mr. Schue go?"
"It went." Quinn replies, giving a tired smile. "I just hope he sees that she didn't actually want to hurt him. From what I could tell, it looked like she was just scared and probably felt lost and alone, and didn't know what to do. And it all just, spiraled out of control," she pauses before softly adding, "I can relate to that."
Rachel immediately stops in her tracks, her eyebrows knitting together into a sad frown. She regrettably never showed any express interest in the baby before finding out about Puck. She had seen that Brittany and Santana were veering away from Quinn. She was even part of the reason that Finn was straying. And she didn't do anything about it because she was so involved in her own life that she never thought to see beyond that. She can't imagine what Quinn must have gone through.
"Hey," Quinn calls out, grabbing Rachel's hand to pull the brunette's attention away from her guilty thoughts. "You were there for me, remember? I just wasn't ready for you yet." Quinn knows that Rachel still feels bad that she wasn't there for Quinn, before all the lies happened. And sure, Quinn wishes that she had taken up Rachel's offer of friendship but there is no point in regretting what has happened. Rachel is here now and Quinn is not going to be as foolish this time around.
Since the day they left Mr. Schuester's place, Rachel had been thinking even more about how Quinn must have felt. Having seen the desperation in Terri Schuester's eyes led the brunette to ache that that very same desperation was in Quinn's hazel eyes too. And Rachel can only hope that Terri has somebody to be there for her now.
Rachel nods slowly, taking in the blonde's words to heart. She breathes in deeply and gives Quinn a bright smile. "I'm glad you are now, even though you were still slightly resistant and annoyingly stubborn about it at first," she teases.
Quinn rolls her eyes. "Oh, shut up," she mumbles as she playfully shoves Rachel away, smiling when the brunette lets out a carefree laugh that never fails to lift her spirits.
As Quinn and Rachel relax in the Berry living room after eating dinner together as Rachel's parents are still out on their 'date night', the blonde realizes that come Friday next week it will be exactly a month since she moved in with Rachel and her dads.
Living with the Berrys has been a wildly different experience for Quinn. It's not like her parents were horrible and cold to her throughout her childhood. Quinn hasn't forgotten the times when her dad would bring her and her sister to baseball or football games. And even though she fell asleep for most of them, she can never forget the tender way that her father treated her. She doesn't know how she and her dad managed to lose sight of each other as she grew older and how it led to him being the very person to make her leave the house that had been her home.
Her mother on the other hand, had always been kind of stand-offish with her, even when she was little. The only time she ever felt any maternal warmth from her mother was when Judy dressed her up in those frilly little dresses. She always felt like a show dog being paraded around town and she hated it. And the fact that her mother didn't try to stop her father from kicking her out, leaves Quinn feeling nothing but cold indifference towards the older woman.
The Fabray household ceased being a home when Quinn eventually got to high school. Her parents were becoming increasingly burdened by reputation and intoxicated by alcohol. It left Quinn feeling like a stranger in there; especially after her sister left went to college and then got married with a family of her own. Quinn was alone.
But being in this house, where everything in it makes Quinn feels warm, loved and comforted. It's different. Good different. There are Rachel's parents, Steve and Mal, both of whom have taken to her and have been spoiling her with food and anything else that they can think of. Quinn never knows what to do with the showering of love and care that the two men so readily give to her. It blows her mind away. And then there's the whole living with Rachel Berry thing. Quinn really thought that one of them would go mad and start killing each other by the end of the first week. While Quinn can totally do without the 6 a.m. wake-up because of Rachel going on her elliptical every morning, the petite brunette has been pretty close to amazing. She doesn't even mind it when Rachel keeps to her strict Myspace schedule as the singing just results in her baby kicking and she really doesn't mind feeling that at all. If she ever decides to keep her baby, this would really be the perfect place to raise her.
She and Rachel are sitting side by side on the sofa, watching the History channel when she gently nudges the brunette with her elbow. "Rachel." Brown eyes are focused intently on what's happening on the television screen then Quinn hears Rachel hum to let her know that she has the girl's attention. "Do you ever think about your mom?" When Rachel's form stiffens next to her, Quinn bites her tongue, berating herself for not thinking first that Rachel's mom might be a sensitive subject for the brunette. She even feels her own baby moving inside her, scolding her for it.
The brunette leans away from Quinn, crossing her arms, but keeps her eyes on the television. After a few silent minutes, Quinn thinks that Rachel is choosing to ignore the question so she decides to just drop it when Rachel softly murmurs, "Sometimes."
Rachel lets out a deep, shaky breath before continuing, "Sometimes I would lie awake at night, and I would imagine what she would look like, what she would be like. If I am at all like her. I wonder if she sings too. Does she go through nights when she would sing into the night for the daughter she gave away like I would sing for the mother that gave me away? Is she happy where she is?" Rachel reveals wistfully, her eyes dark and longing as she stares blankly into the animated screen.
"Are you happy where you are?" the blonde quietly asks, her heart hurting at seeing empty brown eyes.
Rachel angles her head to briefly give Quinn a comforting smile. "I am. I'm very happy," she swears. "I know that regardless of how far we have progressed as a society, my family is still considered unconventional compared to apparently "normal" society standards and that we have to deal with the ignorant discrimination for living the way we are. But my dads are all that I've ever known. And they love me with all their heart and they have never left me wanting for anything. I'm perfectly fine not knowing."
Quinn turns her body to face the brunette's side. "But sometimes, you do want to know?" she urges, her interest piqued by Rachel's words.
The brunette's eyes purposefully follow the movements on the monitor, dipping her head once. "Yes. Sometimes," she quietly concedes.
When it is only the sound of the television that reverberates through the room for a few moments, Quinn decidedly leans forward, resting her forehead on Rachel's temple, breathing in the brunette's shampoo. She whispers, "I'm sorry that I upset you."
Rachel rotates her body slightly so that her forehead is pressing against Quinn's, closing her eyes as the blonde's scent wafts up her nose. "You didn't upset me, Quinn," she whispers in return, easing Quinn's distress. The blonde's head shakes against hers and Rachel opens her eyes to see remorseful hazel ones.
"Your eyes are sad," Quinn observes, hoping that Rachel will notice the apologetic tremor in her voice.
"I'm not," the brunette in a firm, reassuring tone. "I've never known what having a mother is like so I don't actually miss it. I don't know what it's like to have a mother nag or worry about me. I've got two dads who constantly do that for me already, so why do I need a third really?" Quinn scrunches her nose and visibly shudders at the thought of having an extra parent and Rachel grins at the adorable look on the blonde's face. Rachel sits back, changing her position into a more comfortable one by resting her head instead on Quinn's shoulder and looping her right arm around Quinn's left, moving her hand down to entangle their fingers as she relaxes against the pregnant girl.
The blonde sighs happily, momentarily nuzzling her nose into Rachel's hair; the familiar smell from silky chestnut locks calming her frazzled nerves. She then returns her attention to the television, thinking that it is the end of that conversation when Rachel's voice cuts through, "But I guess sometimes, once in a while, in the quiet of the night, my mind wanders and I get this feeling like, I miss her. Like I can feel this gaping hole inside myself where she should be." Rachel stops and peers up at Quinn through her eyelashes. "Is it wrong for me to feel that?"
Quinn comfortingly squeezes the small hand in hers. "You can't help how you feel, Rach."
Rachel watches the television for a few more seconds when curiosity gets the best of her and she asks the blonde, "Why are you asking me about my mom, Quinn?"
The pregnant girl shakes her head and shrugs. "Because I want to know if I'll be doing the right thing too," she murmurs, pressing their entwined hands down on her stomach, feeling her baby's enthusiastic kicks. Quinn knows only a little bit about the history behind Rachel's birth; that her parents picked a surrogate to carry her for nine months and that Rachel's dads adopted her as soon as they could after she was born, and that's pretty much it. Quinn just wants to know about the woman who willingly gave Rachel away; wants to know whether she will make as good a choice as Rachel's mother did when she chose Steve and Mal.
Understanding fills Rachel's being now that she sees Quinn's intentions. "I don't know what the circumstances that led my mother to give me away were. But as it turns out, she did the right thing because I couldn't ask for better parents than the two men that I've known all my life. So I can never feel anything but grateful to her."
"But I can't tell you if you will be doing the right thing or if you will be just as lucky, Quinn. That's not something we can predict. Life's kind of a gamble that way. You just never know when or how things will change. They just do. You can try to change them back but sooner or later, they'll change again," Rachel rationalizes. "When the time comes, you'll know what to do."
Quinn sighs, accepting Rachel's answer. She knows that Rachel is right. It's just that sometimes, she wishes the answer can fall right onto her lap. "You'll be with me all the way though, right?" She keeps her eyes on the monitor in front of her, feeling a blush rising up her neck to her face.
The brunette raises a hand to Quinn's face, gently persuading the blonde to face her. When hazel eyes reluctantly meet her own, "Where else will I be?" she asks, giving Quinn a smile, her dark brown eyes filled with unwavering promise.
"No," Quinn says, vigorously shaking her head.
Puck stares at her in disbelief. "What? What do you mean 'no'?" he asks, outraged that she is refusing him this one tiny thing. He doesn't think it's an unreasonable request and yet here she is, telling him 'no'. He isn't being used to being told that word. And let it be said, he really doesn't like it.
Quinn folds her arms across her chest, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "I mean, no, Puck. There is no way." The blonde rolls her eyes, unmoved by his pleading hazel eyes.
"Come on! 'If you think I'm cute, you should see my daddy'. It's awesome and true. We should totally get this for her," he argues, holding up the light blue onesie closer to her face, as if seeing it any closer will make her change her mind. She smacks his hands away from her, wishing once again that Rachel didn't have dance lessons on Saturdays so that she'd be here right now with Quinn and Puck as they stroll around the department store looking for some maternity clothes. She is glad though that she doesn't have to do this alone. But all Puck seems to want to do is grab things from the baby section and showing them to her, as if seeing them would sway her decision, when really, they're kind of annoying her. Puck does mean well and she knows that his actions are driven by the fact that he is strongly vying for them to keep the baby.
"We don't even know if we're keeping her or not," she softly reminds him, not wanting to hurt his feelings but he really needs to remember that there is no decision set in stone yet, and not to keep his hopes up.
Puck frowns, his eyes turning dark green at the thought of losing his baby girl to some stranger who probably won't know to teach her about how to be a bad-ass. "And I'm saying that we should keep her. We can do this you know. We've got friends who would actually help out. Especially Berry. Now she would definitely do anything for you." The boy smirks when he sees the not so subtle coloring of Quinn's cheeks at the very mention of the small brunette who is probably pirouetting or some crap like that. And no, he isn't going to divulge just how he knows what a damn pirouette is.
Still blushing, Quinn sighs. "It's just a really huge decision and so many things can go wrong. I don't want to get it wrong for her," she tells him, revealing her fears to the only person who can truly get what she's going through. She is proven right when he nods knowingly, understanding shining in his eyes.
"You're not alone. Just remember that," he mumbles, setting his gaze elsewhere as he jams his hands in his jean pockets, trying to maintain his cool in front of her.
"I really am grateful that you're helping out with everything." The pregnant girl smiles appreciatively, marveling at how he reluctantly manages to show his sweet, caring side to her; a side that Rachel is adamant is the real person behind the 'Puck' façade.
He gives her a perfectly crooked smile, cocking his eyebrow up at her. "Are you grateful enough to let me buy this for her then?" he asks, holding up the onesie again as he puts on a pout, hoping that it will help his case.
Quinn rolls her eyes at him, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Oh god, alright! Go pay for it already." She shoos him away, directing him towards the cash register before she changes her mind.
She wanders off to browse through the selection of maternity pants, looking through the assorted colors and shaking her head at the very limited choice. She checks her watch, grinning when she sees that it won't be long until Rachel is done with her dance class. Earlier the brunette said that she will join them so that they can catch a movie later together. Her minds blissfully drifts into images of Rachel stretching and dancing in her leotard when very suddenly she feels a tight pain in her abdomen that she hasn't felt before. She knows that the closer she is to her due date, the more she will feel certain cramps but this one is really taking the cake. She starts to feel dizzy when the tightening begins to sharpen, and she clutches her stomach with one hand and her other free hand reaching out to land a grip on something steadier.
Puck is happily walking back with his purchase and at seeing Quinn pale and bending down in a position that can't actually be good for the baby, he races towards her. "Quinn, what is it?"
Quinn doesn't know what's wrong and her mind is a complete blank that she can't recall anything that she read in those damn baby books Rachel and Puck gave her that can explain this excruciating pain away. She grabs for Puck's hand, secretly wishing that it was a smaller hand and she looks up at him, fear in her hazel eyes. She clenches her jaw, her nose flaring as she tries to breathe through the cramps. "It hurts."
Puck acts fast and wraps his arm around her waist, half-dragging and half-carrying her out of the store and towards his car. "Come on, we're getting you to the hospital."
"Call Rachel," she whimpers as he grunts, lifting her into his truck.
Puck shakes his head, pulling on the belt to buckle her in. "She's still at dance, Q. We'll call her when we get there."
Quinn grabs on his arm with both hands, her nails digging into his skin. "No, call her now," she demands. She sees him start to shake his head and she gives him a desperate, pleading look, "Puck, please."
Watery hazel eyes almost melt his resolve but Puck doesn't budge, deciding to distract her with something else. "Look Princess, we have to get you to the hospital, alright? You look about ready to pass out and I am too young and too pretty to die," he says, emphasizing his claim by snapping the buckle shut.
She gives him an incredulous look. "You're too young to die?" she yells when he circles the front of his truck to his side.
After buckling himself in, he turns to the panting blonde, "Yeah, if I don't take you to the hospital straightaway, that's what is going to happen to me when Berry finds out. And I'd rather you be pissed at me for not calling her, than have her be pissed at me. Believe me." He shudders at the image of Berry glaring him down, even though he is way taller than she is. But still, he definitely does not want to face off with a livid Rachel Berry, especially when Quinn is involved. Now that's just a whole lot of crazy.
He turns the key, starting the engine when he hears sniffling beside him and he groans, knowing that he has been defeated. He leans forward to press his forehead against the steering wheel and curses that he can never resist a crying woman. Puck can handle an angry female, swearing and throwing things at him, but place a weeping girl in front of him and he's stumped. He knows that Quinn is being like this in part due to the pain she's feeling and also to the fact that she wants Rachel with her. Puck doesn't question what is going on with his baby mama and his ex-girlfriend, because really, talk all they want but there is no way they can be just friends if Quinn is acting this way. But whatever makes her happy, then he'll do whatever it takes. He braces himself before carefully placing a hand on Quinn's shoulder, making sure his voice is soft and soothing, "Tell you what, I'll call her right now and she can meet us there, okay?"
Quinn nods, still breathing through the pain as her stomach sharply tightens again. Puck goes through his contact list, and then starts to steer his truck out of the parking lot as he waits for Rachel to pick up her phone. "Berry."
She listens in as Puck talks, wishing that she could hear the brunette's voice right now. "Yeah I know that you're still at your lesson but something's wrong with Quinn." She winces when she can hear the sound of Rachel's voice piercing through the speaker but not what the girl is exactly saying to Puck but she can imagine that Rachel is probably scolding him for not calling her sooner. "Yes of course, we're on the way right now. I'm not an idiot." Puck frowns and she guesses that Rachel is probably telling him that he should be bringing her to the hospital and Quinn feels a smidge of guilt for making him call Rachel. "No, I'm not driving while I'm talking to you, mother," he lies easily as he weaves through traffic and Quinn feels too weak to berate him for lying to Rachel.
"Look Berry, just get there, alright?" he snaps, wanting to end this phone call right the hell now. Puck glances to his side and he sees Quinn desperately clinging on to her stomach, looking back at him. "Wait, hold on," he tells her before holding out his phone out the blonde, waiting for her to take it. "Here." Quinn looks at the phone in his hand, questioning in her hazel eyes. Puck places the phone on her hand, pressing it into her palm. "Talk to her."
The pregnant girl picks up the cell phone, bringing it up to her ear. "Rachel?"
"Quinn-" the brunette begins, only to be cut off by Quinn rambling her panic, "Rachel! I don't know what's wrong. I don't remember anything from those books that you guys gave me. I'm not ready-"
Rachel softly shushes her until Quinn stops babbling to listen and with a firm, gentle tone, "Quinn sweetie, it'll be okay. I am sure that everything will be fine. Just breathe for me, okay?" Quinn begins to breathe loudly in response. "Good girl," the brunette coos. "Noah is driving you to the hospital and you're going to get checked out and I'll be right there with you, okay?" Quinn nods, forgetting that Rachel can't see her. "Do you want me to stay on the line?"
"Yes," Quinn hastily replies.
She hears the sound of a car door shutting close, feeling a little better knowing that Rachel is at least on her way now."Okay, hold on." The blonde assumes then that Rachel is searching for her hands-free kit and for the rest of the drive to the hospital, Rachel talks about random nonsensical things that don't actually register in the blonde's mind. She just hears the familiar hum of Rachel's voice going through the line and while she still feels the painful swelling in her stomach, Quinn feels comforted that she isn't facing this alone. Puck and Rachel are here with her.
She keeps a tight grip on the phone and she doesn't realize that they're finally at the hospital when Puck is standing by the open car door, holding out his arm for her to take and the last thing she hears from Rachel is, "I'll be there soon. I promise."
Quinn is lying on the hospital bed when she hears a voice quietly breaking through her thoughts. "Hey you." She lifts her head from the pillow to see her favorite brunette leaning by the doorway. Rachel has a serene smile on her face and her arms are loosely crossed over her stomach. Quinn notes the fading traces of worry in her brown eyes as Rachel walks inside the room.
The pregnant girl lays her head back down, a tired grin on her face before whispering her reply, "Hey."
Rachel takes a seat on the chair by the bed and rests a small hand on Quinn's stomach, smiling at the baby's kicks in response. Quinn automatically places her hand on top of Rachel's, quietly observing the instinctual way their fingers link together. "Gave us quite a scare, didn't she?" the brunette murmurs.
"Noah is outside pacing himself. I think he's trying to get the agitation out of his system before he comes inside," the brunette chuckles even though she still feels a little shaken from the earlier phone call and hearing Quinn's panicked voice. She is surprised that she managed to stay so calm for Quinn when everything inside her was just screaming in hysteria. But the warmth of Quinn's hand in hers and the lively thuds of the baby kicking under her palm melt any remaining tense feeling in her body and Rachel allows herself a sigh of relief that Quinn and the baby are okay.
A Braxton-Hicks contraction is what the doctor called it, which apparently, is only supposed to be a mild discomfort for the unborn child's mother. But given Quinn's petite size, it has been known to hurt just a little bit more than normal. Quinn remembers that this baby also happens to be half Puck's and really, when she thinks about it, it's not so surprising that their little girl is giving her trouble before leaving the womb. She isn't very fond of the pain, of the constant tight swelling of her stomach but she is more than glad when the doctor says that there is nothing wrong and that the baby is just fine.
"Why aren't they letting me go yet?" the blonde whines. All she wants is to get out of this itchy hospital gown, into her own clothes and leave with Rachel. She shifts uneasily to show her discomfort.
"They just want to make sure that everything is fine, sweetie. Once they're done, we can go," Rachel promises, giving the adorable pouting girl an indulgent smile and raises her free hand to brush her fingers through fine golden hair. Her smile widens when Quinn sighs contentedly and relaxes under her treatment.
They stay like that, just quietly staring at each other until they hear the door open and Rachel immediately retreats her hands onto her lap. Alarm fills her entire being when she sees Quinn's face pale completely. She turns her head to face the current visitor and Rachel feels her own heart stop at the sight of Russell and Judy Fabray standing stoically in the doorway.
"Mom, Dad," Quinn utters shakily, her knuckles turning white as she keeps a tight grip on the bed railing, resisting the very strong urge to grab onto Rachel's hand. "What are you doing here?"
"So, your mom gets to call you 'Quinny' but I can't?" Rachel teases as she watches the pregnant girl contemplatively stare up at the ceiling. Quinn instantly flinches in response to the moniker. She has always hated it and when Rachel tried calling her 'Quinny' that one time; it just reminded Quinn of her mom. And considering her growing feelings for the girl, that is just plain disturbing.
"That's exactly the reason why," she mutters. She turns her head to the side to face Rachel and there is a smirk on her face. "But you can call me 'sweetie' anytime," she purrs, teasing the brunette for the nickname that slipped when they were on the phone and just before her parents entered her room earlier. A surge of warmth passes through her when Rachel starts to blush profusely, giddy that the brunette isn't apologizing for it because god, she kind of really wants to hear it again. And she shivers just thinking of Rachel calling her 'sweetie' again, with her brown eyes trained on Quinn's hazel ones. She really, really wants to hear it now.
Waiting for the heat to fade from her cheeks, Rachel shyly looks down at her hands. She doesn't actually regret saying it because she has found herself wanting to say it so many times before and when she heard Quinn panicking earlier, Rachel wanted to assure her that everything was going to be fine and 'sweetie' just came out. Quinn's reaction is a surprise to Rachel but friends call each other those kinds of nicknames anyway, right? It doesn't have to mean anything.
Except that Rachel does want it to mean something. But she is sadly certain that it isn't what Quinn wants. Still, it pleases her though that Quinn doesn't seem to mind it all, and is actually in fact encouraging her to do so again.
When Quinn sighs and starts to sit up, Rachel moves towards the chair by the bed, knowing that the blonde has something weighing heavily on her mind since Quinn's parents left her room to talk to her doctor. "They want me to go back home with them," she quietly murmurs.
Rachel forces herself to swallow a thick lump, restraining herself from selfishly saying that no, she can't go back, Quinn's home is with her, and that she can't just go with people who thoughtlessly kicked her out in the first place. But Rachel can understand the conflict that Quinn feels, because they are still her parents and what child doesn't want their parents' approval? She doesn't want Quinn to leave, to be with people who essentially shaped the Quinn Fabray that previously tormented her. And the thought of not seeing Quinn's lovely face in the morning hurts her more than anything she can ever imagine. But if going back home with her parents will make her happy, Rachel can't actually do anything to stop her. She can't tell Quinn the reason why she wants her to stay when that reason might just make her pack her bags even faster. She picks up Quinn's hand, interlaces their fingers together, bravely uttering, "It's your choice, Quinn."
"I want to go home."
Even though she had expected it, Rachel's heart still pulses painfully in surprise as a very infinitesimal part of her had hoped that Quinn would say something else. She brushes shaky fingers through her brunette locks as she nods, giving the girl a shuddery reply, "Alright then. After your doctor lets you go, we can go back and then pack your-"
Quinn shakes her head. "No, Rachel." The brunette frowns and Quinn notices glistening brown eyes. Quinn doesn't know why they are and something twists painfully inside her seeing those unshed tears. She tugs on the small hand in hers, catching the other girl's attention but Rachel's hand is listless and the brunette's lips are set in a tight line.
Wanting desperately to reassure the girl, Quinn shifts her body a little more to the side of the mattress, pulling a surprisingly compliant Rachel to lie beside her. Quinn is surprised when Rachel immediately curls her body into the blonde's. Rachel's scent surrounds her and for just a second, Quinn takes it all in, peace and safety settling deep within her bones. Only Rachel has that effect on her.
After a few silent moments, Quinn ducks her head down to catch Rachel's gaze and as they are locked in a stare, she carries Rachel's hand to her lips before shyly clarifying, "I want to go home with you," she shyly tells her before placing a gentle kiss on the tanned palm, hoping that it will get a smile from the brunette.
And it does. A tiny watery smile, but a smile nonetheless. Rachel's brown eyes are shining with happy surprise, taken aback that Quinn is actually choosing to stay with her and her dads. It's like she is being given a second chance at something and intuition is telling her that it has everything to do with Quinn.
Both girls are feeling the same excited, fluttery feelings inside them, their hearts thudding violently against their chests and everything inside them wants, daring them to push that line of friendship into more. But something stops them, some invisible force that is telling them to wait just a little bit longer until the stars are completely aligned for them. And they are very certain that they aren't going to be waiting for very much longer.
Quinn knows that if she goes back with her parents, she will never get the chance to see Rachel. Her mom implied as much earlier that she will be assuming complete control over everything that Quinn will do once she makes one step back in the house. Her dad didn't contribute anything to the conversation, opting to stay out of it. But he still nodded along, agreeing to everything that his wife was saying. That was what further cemented Quinn's decision to stay with the Berrys. Judy will put up a fight just so she can look ever the dutiful mother but unless her parents go through some sort of drastic personality makeover, Quinn never wants to go back.
When Rachel hasn't said anything, Quinn questions the brunette whether it is okay for her to remain with her and her dads, just to make sure. Quinn doesn't want to leave. The Berry house has been the only place that makes her feel safe in so long; the only place that allows her to be herself and the only place where she feels truly loved. And she is too used to Rachel being the first face that she encounters in the morning and Quinn just doesn't want to give up having that smile brightening up her day.
"Is it what you truly want?" Rachel asks carefully, wanting to make sure so that Quinn won't eventually regret her decision and end up hating Rachel for not convincing her to go back with her parents.
Quinn's reply is prompt and without any hesitation. "Yes." Embarrassed, she looks down at their hands in her lap, watches as her thumb absently glides over the back of Rachel's hand. A finger is placed under her chin, forcing her focus to move back up, setting her gaze into deep brown eyes that are piercing right through her. Quinn swallows nervously at seeing that beautiful face so close to hers.
"Then yes sweetie, it's definitely okay." Rachel then moves her hand up to rest on Quinn's cheek and she feels the blonde's face move up into a grin before seeing it. Rachel bites down on her bottom lip when a thought crosses her mind. "Your parents aren't going to be happy about it though," she surmises.
Quinn clucks her tongue and purses her lips. "Probably not, but I can't be in that house. I just can't." She shakes her head until Rachel's thumb begins to gently stroke her cheek and Quinn sighs, closing her eyes shut and leaning into the brunette's touch, secretly hoping (and not for the first time) that Rachel will never stop touching her like this.
Rachel nods in acceptance. "Okay, I won't let you go unless you want to," she promises, her words heavy with unspoken intent and her heart makes a hard thump at the radiant smile that she receives from the blonde.
"Will you stay with me?" Quinn asks before quickly adding, "When I tell them, I mean."
Rachel's responding smile is reassuring and her dark eyes are shining brilliantly as she repeats her question from yesterday in a soft whisper, "Where else will I be?"