Shadow of Fate - Chapter 9
The jolt that shot through her temple didn't register until she felt something warm trickle down the side of her face. Lazily raising her hand, she dabbed at the moisture, and with blurry unfocused eyes, finally realized what it was.
Blood.
She dropped to her knees, feeling unconsciousness ready to take her into it's arms. The streetlight cast a low glow in the side street, and with barely open eyes, she saw someone behind her, the shadow's arms raising high above it's head, hands clutching something long, but thick, before coming back down again.
Then she remembered nothing at all.
"Even entering a time zone, you are eligible for death. It seems your killer is getting a little antsy."
"Yeah," Quinn croaked, feeling a headache form right behind both eyeballs. It hurt, and when she stood her vision fuzzed a bit, but she managed just the same. "So every time I enter a time zone I'm likely to be killed now?"
"No, but just expect it. Be on your guard."
"I'm always on my guard, but it doesn't seem to stop me getting killed."
Homunculus chuckled from his spot on the top of the huge double doors. His ankles were crossed, fingers tapping a haphazard tune on the frame, "You haven't been guarded lately. You haven't had an attempt on your life in a while, so you assumed the worst was over." He paused, "You were wrong."
The doors swung open and Quinn sighed, "Good luck, Quinn."
Tracking down Santana wouldn't be an easy job - Lima, although hardly developed in 1556, was still pretty big. The Latina could have been anywhere in the town, if she was still alive. Quinn gulped as she glanced around the town centre - Santana would have to be still alive, the people in Lima seemed decent enough; especially the ones that she'd had the pleasure of meeting.
She didn't know where to start, the town hall was shut at this time of night and the centre seemed to be deserted. The faint glow of lanterns that hung teetering from walls only shone in certain places, casting heavy almost ghoulish shadows.
Quinn had to watch her steps as she wandered into the night - she avoided the street she'd gone down when she was murdered, but even the gentle breeze and the rustling of trees was enough to make her jump. Her killer was in this time, somewhere, stalking her, playing her. Homunculus' advice was solid, but hard to do.
The blonde's first thought was to go to the butcher's and talk to Mary, but she stopped halfway there when she realized the butcher wasn't even a year old yet. With a sigh, she stopped, pressed herself up against a wall and glanced around. It seemed that no one was following her, but the fact that she Iknew/I someone was out there had her terrified. As she continued back the way she came, she glanced down every street, pressed herself up against walls when nearby sounds became too loud, and made sure to run when she caught sight of a fishy looking shadow.
Then she heard it, a rustling. It was faint, but she picked up on it. It was coming from her right, near what looked like an impromptu cemetery. There were a few misshapen wooden crosses stuck into the solid ground, and the way that the moon cast a glow across the field made Quinn shudder. Then the rustling stopped, but she didn't move on, she stared into the distance, not trusting herself to move until she knew that no one was there.
She should be in one of those graves. She'd died countless times, and she knew deep in her gut that she'd die again. Those people died once - why did she have the right to come back and live her life?
What Homunculus had told her rang from a distant memory - Dr. Russell was vital to her existence, to her life, to her legacy. And from what she knew, in this time, Dr. Russell was still alive and well.
Then the rustling again. The bushes shook, and she didn't know why but she moved toward them. Her killer was stealthy, there was no way they'd make such a mistake - unless it was a trap.
She stopped, "Whoever you are, come out now."
Her voice rang strong, and she was surprised by how confident she sounded. Deep inside she was fucking terrified.
"I mean it, come out now."
"Promise me that you'll take care of yourself."
She was breaking her promise, jumping head first into a dangerous situation. She thought she heard Rachel's voice, trying to tell her to come back, to stop what she was doing - but she continued nonetheless.
"I'll alert the authorities."
Then the bush shook and she took a large step back, hands clutched into fists at her sides, ready to put up a fight. Then what emerged shocked her - a small boy, brown hair, blue eyes. "Please don't call the authorities, I wasn't harming anyone."
"I've seen you before," Quinn's eyes narrowed as she took a step forward, "Where?"
The little boy looked up at her with wide eyes, "You were in my house - you were talking to my mother."
The boy on the stairs. Samuel.
"Ah." Quinn smiled genuinely and crouched down in front of him, eye level with him, "And why are you out at this time of night?"
Samuel shrugged his little shoulders gently, "I couldn't sleep, and the baby was crying. I just wanted to have a walk by myself."
"You know it's dangerous out here at night, don't you?" Her motherly instincts kicked in and she placed a hand gently on his shoulder, "You could have been hurt."
The boy nodded, "I know, but really, I just wanted to have a walk…"
"And now you've had your walk," Quinn stood once more, "And now I'm taking you home."
With a sigh, Samuel trudged ahead, scuffed cloth shoes sliding against the dirt road. His head was lowered, almost as if he was walking to his own funeral. Quinn made sure to keep an eye on the boy as they walk - just in case the little guy made a break for it. The blonde might have been an athlete, but just the thought of running after a guy that was probably a bundle of energy made her legs ache.
"My mother will be angry," Samuel commented, talking for the first time in five minutes. "She doesn't like it when I'm not there to help with my baby sister."
"And why's that?"
"Father should be helping, but he's stuck down in the basement working on a project. I've tried going down to ask if he'll come up, but he doesn't even realize I'm there." He sounded so heartbroken, and a part of Quinn just wanted to sob for the poor boy. Although her father couldn't give two tosses about her, she knew how it felt to have a father that paid no attention to anyone but himself and his own needs. "So I help mother with my sister instead."
"You must be an amazing son then; helping out your mother like that."
"Yes, I suppose so." To say the boy was only around the age of six, he sounded and acted more mature for his age - but providing the fact that he literally had to do his father's job, it didn't surprise the blonde.
They reached Samuel's house, and instead of the boy just walking straight in, he stood stock still at Quinn's side, looking up at her with wide eyes. Something in his eyes tugged at her, like she'd seen the look a thousand times. "Will you talk to my mother?"
Quinn nodded, "I'll try, but it still doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't have been out this late. How old are you…?"
He sighed and looked down at his shoes, scuffing the toe against the brick door frame, "Six, but I'm nearly seven. I'll be seven in two months and three days."
"Even if you were seven, you shouldn't be out this late, Samuel."
The boy nodded, "Yes."
She ran a hand through his brown hair, trying to calm his nerves before she pulled her hand away and knocked heavily on wooden door. She took one step, and tried to hide her mirth when Samuel did the exact same.
The door eventually opened, and a tired looking Elizabeth appeared from behind the door. She had heavy bags under her eyes, her skin looked chalky and pale - she looked as if she hadn't slept in days. The older woman held a bundle in her arms, a tiny face poking out from the thick blanket.
"Samuel?" Her eyes narrowed in on her son before shooting up to the blonde, "Quinn, was it?"
"Yes it is," She smiled and glanced down at Sam quickly, "I found your son near the cemetery. I brought him back."
"Hm," Elizabeth sighed, "I thought I tucked you into bed over an hour ago Samuel, how on earth did you get outside without my knowledge?"
He mumbled something - his mother chided him for not speaking more clearly and made him repeat himself, "You were busy with Mary."
The older woman sighed, stepped back from the door and with a quick nod of her head said, "Come on in, the both of you. It's getting cold out."
The home was just as Quinn had left it – although the medicine cabinet looked a lot less stocked than before. If what Samuel had said was right, if Dr. Russell was so busy with his new 'project', he mustn't have had time to make all the necessary medicine. It was weird though, she knew the family made their profits from their small time pharmacy, so why was the one thing that kept them going, being put on a back burner?
"Off to bed with you Samuel – I'll talk to you tomorrow morning about what's warranted this attitude change in you."
The little boy huffed slightly, and the way his shoulder's hunched reminded her of the storm outs her older sister used to give when she was only little. The heavy stomping up the wooden stairs reminded her of the infamous storm outs that one Rachel Barbra Berry gave daily.
It made her chuckle.
Elizabeth smiled at the blonde, "Something funny?" Her smile seemed worn, like it was a push to even do it, and Elizabeth's face didn't light up like before.
"Your son just reminded me of someone I knew, that's all."
The older woman nodded slightly and glanced down at the baby cradled in her arms, "Would you hold her while I go talk to my husband?"
Oh, no…no she couldn't do that. She raised her arms in silent protest, but Elizabeth took it the wrong way. With a smile, genuine this time, she handed little Mary over and adjusted the blanket around the little girls face, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Please make yourself comfortable." She gestured over to a nearby room and before Quinn even had chance to respond, she was already shutting the basement door behind her.
It was awkward to say to least, and as she carried to baby gingerly into the family's living room which only had a few seats and a small wood fire, she tried not to cringe whenever Mary moved. She took a seat on a worn seat, wooden of course – it seemed all of the furniture in the house was made from hand. Maybe Dr. Russell did it before he became a hobbit down below?
The baby moved in her arms, and in reflex, she leaned forward, cradling the baby against her chest. Maybe it was cold? She adjusted the blanket so it was tighter and then when Mary calmed down, she realized she'd made the right call. She wasn't stupid, she'd babysat before – because hello, although she had semi-rich parents didn't mean she got money on tap. She worked for money, and babysitting was the only thing she was willing to do.
But that was before Beth. Beth, the baby that she'd given up for adoption, the child that she knew deserved a better life than the one that she could have given her. Quinn wanted a life, and knowing if she kept Beth she wouldn't have one – she'd be stuck in Lima, in a dead end job, and eventually, she'd begin to detest her child for taking her future away. She couldn't let that happen, not when that baby, so sweet and innocent lay in her arms, looked up at her with wonder in its eyes.
No, Beth deserved a life with a mother that could give her the love she deserved; the life she deserved. It killed her, but she did it, and she doesn't regret it. Well, part of her does, because that baby is her flesh and blood. But it was too late to go back now; Beth was almost a year old.
The PAD pressed deliciously against her outer thigh and she sighed – it all seemed so simple. Go to the time of Beth's conception and just put a stop to it, or go back to that time, in the hospital bed, Regional's, and tell Puck that Beth was staying.
The urge to do it was overwhelming, but she stayed strong – Shelby was happy with the baby she never had, she couldn't destroy a woman's life like that, even though said woman crushed Rachel's hopes of having a mother in her life. No, she'd keep it the way it was.
Mary's eyes fluttered open, and a low whine brought Quinn's attention back to the bundle in her arms. "Hey…" She adjusted her arm and gently prodded the tip of Mary's nose, smiling when the tiny baby scrunched up her whole face, "Least you're not making me eat cow heart…"
"Cow heart is very healthy," Quinn jumped at Elizabeth's voice, "Oh don't look so shocked, Quinn. I'm very quiet when I want to be…" The older woman wandered over to the pair and gently took the baby back into her own arms, "After all, that's a mother's best skill, correct?"
"I uhm," The blonde cleared her throat, "I wouldn't know."
Elizabeth continued to smile down at the bundle in her arms, "Do you plan to have children one day, Quinn?"
Quinn's jaw slackened and then clenched tightly, "One day, when I'm ready."
The older woman looked to Quinn, "I am sure you will be a fine mother, Quinn."
The blonde just nodded, and glanced down the hem of her shirt, pulling at the worn edges nervously. She wanted to get off this topic – this was the one thing she didn't want to talk about, or even think about. Thankfully, Elizabeth noticed the way that Quinn seemed to block herself off and dropped the subject.
"Well, apart from saving my son from a row of bushes, is there a reason you're here?"
Quinn chuckled, "I'm just here to find my friend," She looked up, noticing that Elizabeth somehow kept one eye on Mary and one eye on her. It was weird, "I saw Samuel when I was walking around and just thought I'd drop in."
"It's appreciated," The older woman smiled, "It's good to actually talk to someone for once…" She trailed off, and Quinn watched as the older woman trailed the tip of her index finger down the side of Mary's face, stopping to gently press on the tiny chin.
"You don't talk to anyone?"
"My husband is terribly busy of late; I find it hard to get him to look up from his work."
"That must hurt you," Quinn whispered, noting how Elizabeth's eyes seemed to shine in the low light of the fire, "Has…your husband seen your daughter yet?"
Elizabeth sighed, "He was there for the birth," She shrugged her shoulders gently, "Naturally…but not since then. It's like he's forgotten she existed. He hardly speaks to me, fails to notice his child, or his growing son that's becoming more and more agitated as the days go on." She took a seat beside Quinn, "I just do not know what to do, especially when it comes to Samuel. He needs a male figure in his life, and the only one he has is stuck in a basement."
"Have you tried talking to Dr. Russell…?"
Elizabeth chuckled lightly, "Oh of course I have, but it falls on deaf ears."
"Leave him then," Quinn replied flippantly, biting her lip afterwards. Where the hell did that come from? Elizabeth seemed shocked too, and then with a sigh, she glanced back down toward Mary.
"A mother of two children and no husband…? How would I survive? What would the community think of me? I could not do that, Quinn."
Of course she could do it, but the thought of leaving the security blanket of her husband was too terrifying to her. Quinn could relate; after being kicked out of her home when her parent's found out she was pregnant, she obviously felt unprotected. She was a Fabray, but she wasn't at the same time. She had no power behind her name, her status – she was just another average person in an average town. A statistic.
"Then force him to notice, tell him you'll leave him." When the older woman opened her mouth to interject, Quinn held up her hand, "Hear me out. Tell him you'll leave him if he doesn't pay more attention to you, or at least come up from the basement. It's a scare tactic, always works."
Thank you Sue Sylvester.
"Hm," Elizabeth nodded, "I will think on it, until then, I will just 'deal with it'."
Quinn laughed lightly, "Okay." Then she stood, "It was nice talking to you, but I should really get going."
They both walked to the door, a now very awake and fidgety Mary in her mother's arms as they reached the door. "Oh," The blonde glanced at the medicine cabinet, "Uh…What happened to all the medicine?"
Elizabeth glanced at the cabinet and then back to Quinn, "My husband is too busy to make medicine, and the meagre stock we had left went to the Lord of the Manor."
"Lord?"
The older woman nodded, "He's become very ill, his carers come every other day to pick out more medicine to try. They've depleted the stock, I'm afraid." Then her face went pale, "Oh, you didn't want anything did you?"
Quinn shook her head, "No, I'm fine. Thank you though," She opened the door, "Remember what I said."
"I will be sure to heed your advice, young Quinn."
Quinn smiled.
Now she was stuck – she hadn't thought to ask Elizabeth about Santana, and now she was already two streets away from the house. It seemed pointless going back, and if the older woman's expression had anything to go by, she was ready to fall asleep.
"Damn…" Quinn groaned and ran a hand through her hair, casually glancing up side streets. The only place she could go was the town hall, and that was shut. She had no other choice, and although she was still worried about using the PAD too often, she pulled it out of her pocket and shut her eyes.
It'd worked, granted she was about an hour out, but she'd managed to make it to the next morning without much fuss. She didn't know what time it was, and glancing down at the PAD she realized it was already late morning. 11am.
The town was already bustling, and the daily market was a hive of activity for punters and customers alike. Quinn actually had to stop at one point, because although it was still uncooked, the bacon that one of the dealer's was selling looked divine.
She was used the weird looks she got because of her outfit, and she didn't let it bother her. The sneers she was used to, especially from three women especially. Two older women, one tall and thin, the other robust and small – and one small child, clinging to the thin woman like her life depended on it. They didn't even try to whisper as she passed them, they gladly spoke their minds, loudly for the rest of the market to hear.
"The hussy – what is she wearing?"
"She looks like common muck. How is she not in the stocks?"
"Mother, why is she dressed so…weird."
Quinn just rolled her eyes, and then plastered a fake smile on her face as she passed. Those three women meant nothing to her – why bother trying to pick a fight? True, she was pissed – they had no right to speak about her like that, but she could control her temper unlike…
Santana.
"Oh damn, she's dead…" Quinn groaned, "She's gotta be…"
The girl always stuck up for herself, and her damn mouth had no filter whatsoever. It would be a damn miracle if Santana had survived without saying 'fuck' a million times and an added 'what's in my weave' comment.
Would people in this time even know what a weave was?
The town hall was just as she remembered, and jumping up the steps, two at a time she made her way into the building. The set up was a little different compared to when she was here in the future, the outlay seemed to have shifted. The main desk wasn't right in front of the front doors, it was way in the back of the huge entrance hall.
She shifted around people to get to the allusive desk, and after a mild staring competition with a sixty year old woman when she bumped into the blonde, she made it relatively intact.
"Yes?" The man seemed uninterested as he sifted through some papers on a makeshift desk.
"I was wondering if you'd seen a woman around."
"I see a lot of women, pretty lady." He smirked up at Quinn, "What sorta girl are you talking about?"
Quinn sighed and reigned in her temper, "A tallish girl, tan, black hair, she was wearing a short skirt when she first arrived here."
"Short skirt you say?" He leaned back on his stool and bit his bottom lip, eyes travelling up and down Quinn's body, "You wouldn't happen to have the skirt on you, would you? To try it on…? You know…for…investigative purposes."
She snapped.
"Okay, first of all - gross. Second of all - I'd rather jump in a pit of lava than wear a skirt for you. Thirdly, have you seen my fucking friend?"
"…No..."
"Thank you,"
She turned on her heel s and stomped away.
Okay, so now she was screwed. With a heavy sigh she dropped to the town hall steps and rested her forearms on her knees. She'd been kicked out of the town hall before she could even reach the door – and with a warning she was let go. She really didn't want to be stuck in the stocks for three days.
"Thank God Rachel wasn't with me," She mumbled through a chuckle, dropping her head. She knew the tiny diva would have called out the guy on his attitude more than she had, and demanded that someone try and track down Santana. Quinn was used to getting what she wanted, but demanding things in a time where she didn't belong made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
It seemed as if Rachel had no problem, regardless of the era was in. It was surprising how easily the diva had adjusted to the whole 'time travel, trying to stop my own death' thing, and Quinn was surprised how much Rachel wanted to back her up - to travel with her.
She smiled to herself, and silently giggled – for some reason, Rachel seemed to have that effect on her. She just seemed to smile more, and not one of those forced fake ones either. It was genuine, a smile that she wanted to share with the brunette.
And now their emotions were converging together – and for some reason, it felt right. Although Quinn was still with Sam, it's like he didn't exist when Rachel Berry was in the picture. The blonde knew she'd have to let him go sooner or later – it wasn't fair on him…and to be fair, the daily Na'vi love notes in her locker were beginning to freak her out.
She knew she cared more for Rachel, and that's why Sam had to go. It came down to one thing. With Sam, she never had to fight back the urge to stutter (a problem that arose when she was six and she managed to control when she hit 13) but with Rachel there was always an urge – right in the back of her throat. It was getting harder as the days went on, and she'd somehow managed to control it – but after the rather chaste kiss to the cheek it had broken a barrier.
Hopefully she would have some form of control when she got back to her time.
With a sigh, she rose to her feet and began descending the stone steps of the town hall. She'd only just reached the bottom step when she stopped in her tracks – a blur of black hair and tanned skin.
"Santana…!" Quinn jumped the remaining stairs and broke into a run, dodging passers-by as she made her way toward the direction the woman was going. She skidded to a halt around the corner and groaned. There were people, but no Santana.
"For fu-," With a long and heavy breath, Quinn calmed herself.
I wasn't imagining it. Santana is alive.
"Dammit, when did you become a ninja, S?" Quinn glanced around, doing a slow 360, taking in the people around her. It was still busy, being only a street away from the town centre. There was a vast range of people, but not one was Santana. The blonde huffed, "Well fuck."
She heard a door open behind her, and she thought nothing of it, until a soft click and then her name, "Quinn?"
She swirled on the heels of her feet and her jaw dropped heavily. Santana, in a very prudish dress, all the way down to her ankles. Her hair left flowing at her shoulders - looking in bad condition if Quinn had anything to go by, but then again, she doubted they had half the stuff that Santana put in her hair in 1556.
"Yes!" The blonde launched herself into the Latina's arms, wrapping her legs around her waist. She heard the other girl grunt under her weight, but she just clung on, scared that if she left go the Latina would just disappear again.
"Q, get the fuck off me…" Santana grunted through clenched teeth and eventually with some prying and a few knocks to the forehead by Santana's clenched fist, Quinn lowered herself to the ground, silly grin still on her face.
"Thank God you're alive, I thought you'd have been killed."
"Why?"
"Because of your motor mouth. People were prudes," She glanced around, catching sight of three familiar women stood staring, mouths agape at the show of public affection, "Are prudes," She rephrased.
"People swear in this time, Q. Stop getting your damn panties in a twist."
Quinn frowned, then sobered, "Anyway…what've you been doing with yourself-,"
"Since you left me in this damn time?"
The blonde bit her inner cheek, "Yeah…sorry about that S…"
"Sorry?" Santana's eyes narrowed, slowly taking steps toward the blonde, who had the good idea to back off, "You're sorry that you left me in a time where hygiene is at the bottom of the list? I haven't eaten properly, if I get one more whiff of rotting meat in the morning I might scream, everyone is a damn prude so I can't get my mack on, all I do all day is Ifucking/I work and I get slim to nothing for it anyway." Santana's voice rose exponentially, "And I'm wearing a fucking curtain!"
Quinn stopped when she realized she'd backed herself into a wall, usually she wasn't scared of the Latina - she could handle Santana - but something about the way that Quinn could somehow see into her best friend's mind and see how she was planning to slowly torture her, had her a little worried.
"Look, the PAD said I had to go back, otherwise I would have stayed, S." The blonde scratched the back of her neck gently, "Then I kinda got side tracked by some stuff and I've only just managed to get through."
"Oh…so me being stuck in a different timeline is a smaller problem compared to this 'other stuff'. Tell me, Q…what stuff did you have to sort that you couldn't come and pick me the hell up."
Okay, scary Santana.
"Uh, well, I had to sort some things out with Homunculus, and then I got sent to 1994, I got killed again - which really hurt by the way- I had to sort some things out with Rachel and-,"
"Whoa," Santana held her hand up, palm facing Quinn's face, effectively shutting her up. The Latina stared into space, looking right over the blonde's shoulder. "Say again."
Quinn wasn't stupid, she knew what Santana had wanted her to repeat.
"I had sort some things out with Rachel,"
"Since when did the hobbit become Rachel?"
"Look, there's a lot to explain, and I can't do it right now. Come back with me to 2011 and I'll tell you everything then."
"Tell me now."
Quinn groaned, "No…" She reached into her pockets and pulled out her PAD, "Come on, I'll tell you as soon as we're back in 2011. I'm worried if I stay here too long I might change something."
Santana stared down at her friend, and then slowly blinked once and let out a long breath, "I'm not going back."
"Excuse me?" Quinn asked quickly, voice low.
"I have nothing in that time for me, Q. Has my mom even noticed I've been gone for-," She paused and allowed Quinn to tell her how long she'd been gone, "A week?"
"Well…I haven't really seen your mom."
Santana scoffed, "Has anyone noticed I was gone? Actually, did anyone care?"
"I cared," Quinn paused, "Brittany cares."
"Oh please, you cared because you had to with your guilty ass. B…just cares about everyone…so it's not much of a help."
"B loves you."
"Q," Santana sighed, "Don't start this. There's nothing for me back in out time…and I might kind of like it here. Sure I complain a lot, but I've actually done something with my life. Did you know I'm a nurse?"
"No…I didn't."
Santana chuckled half-heartedly, "Yeah…didn't take much. Coach Sylvester's summer trip to the woods freshman year helped a lot. Apparently you can be a nurse if you can just wrap a damn bandage." Then the Latina's shoulders rolled, "So no, I have no reason to go back."
"What about us? Glee Club? Brittany?"
This couldn't be real - Santana was actually refusing to go back into the future with her? It wasn't her choice to make, if the Latina wanted to stay or not, and the fact that Santana kind of liked it in 1556 Lima, made Quinn feel a little guilty into making her come back. But the thought of keeping a girl who was originally born in 1994 and sticking her in 1556 was not a good move to make. Quinn was no expert on time travel, but she knew that the scenario was fucked up.
The fact that Santana wouldn't even go back from Brittany, a girl who adored the Latina with every beat of her heart, just made Quinn down right angry.
"You know what, fine. Stay here. I'll just go back and tell Brittany some half assed story about how you left state or something and that you had nothing to say to her before you left. I'll make you out to be a real cow, because really, right now, that's what you are. And I'm putting it lightly. You just don't want to go back because you hate seeing B with Artie, and genuinely, I understand that, but the fact you won't even try to sort it out, makes you a fucking pussy."
Quinn took a long breath, calming herself. Her cheeks were flushed with irritation, but also with the fact she'd cursed so much. She hated cursing.
"You've never spoken to me like this before…"
The blonde nodded, "I know."
"If I said you were right, and you're not, what would change if I went back?"
Quinn scanned Santana's face, and kicked away from the wall she was leaning against, resting her hands on the Latina's shoulders. They never really touched - Santana had a personal bubble that only Brittany had the right to enter, and the fact that the tan girl allowed Quinn to touch her, meant something.
"You love her, right?"
Santana said nothing.
"I'm not an expert on these things - you know that too well. But recently, I've…come to realize a few things. Don't give up just because it seems hopeless, keep trying, keep going for what you want."
"She loves him," Santana mumbled quietly, eyes stuck on Quinn's.
"She loves you too. I know she does, and she's lost without you by her side. You need be there, for your sake and hers."
"I'm…kinda scared, Q."
"I am too…" the blonde whispered, almost to herself without thinking, "But we need to try, right? Even if it is a lost cause?"
A tear streaked down Santana's cheek, and quickly she wiped it away, "Give me a few hours, I need to sort some things out. Come to the manor house."
Quinn nodded and let her hands drift from Santana's shoulders back down to her sides, "Okay. I'll come find you in three hours, at the manor house."
"Fine." Santana turned and walked away, but stopped only a few feet from the blonde, "I don't have to tell you to keep this quiet."
Quinn grinned, "Can't let people know you're really a bit softy at heart?"
Santana's shoulders shook gently, "Only when it comes to her, it seems." Then Santana continued on, "I expect to know everything about Berry when we get back."
"B-Rachel…?"
"Hm, but for some reason, I think I already know." And she disappeared around a corner, leaving Quinn in the middle of a busy street, people milling around her like she didn't even exist.
"You always were perceptive, S."
"Samuel!" Quinn grinned and waved over to the brunette who was sat reading a small book, "Hey…" She jogged up to him and stopped, collapsing down beside him where he sat against the wall of his house on the floor.
"Hi." He glanced down at his book, effectively ignoring her.
"So…how did things go with your mom the morning?"
"She shouted at me." He shrugged his small shoulders and slowly flipped a page in his book, "I'm used to it. All that she has done is shout at me recently."
"Oh…?" Quinn lowered her head to try and catch the brunette's eyes. It was futile, his eyes remained glued on the pages.
"I know it has to do with father, but she takes it out on me." He sighed, "I don't like it at all. I tried talking to father this morning about it and he just ignored me."
"So you came out here to be by yourself?"
"Yes."
Quinn felt sorry for the boy - all he seemed to want was a father figure in his life, and the fact that he had a more than capable father, hurt Quinn. Samuel reminded her or herself when it came to the relationship with her father. Russell was her father, but in her mind, only down on paper. He acted nothing like a father, but he was there, in the background.
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
Samuel sighed, "He won't talk to you, he's too busy with his project."
"Well, I can try right?" She smiled, and watched as Samuel slowly raised his head, regarded her for a few seconds and then smiled slightly, "Right?"
"Right," He looked down to his book, "My mother is out at the market, she always goes around this time. You probably have an hour until she gets back."
"Okay," Quinn rose to her feet, brushed to dust from her backside, "Can I just go in?"
Samuel just nodded.
The basement was like any other basement, except for the fact it had a mega sized cauldron in the centre of the room. Stone steps descended into a dimly lit room, papers lay strewn across the floor and several different tables that lay dotted around the room. A tall man stood in the centre, glancing down to the paper in his hand before stirring a thick liquid in the cauldron with the other.
The smell was heavy, thick, and Quinn had to wipe some moisture away from her upper lip as she hit the bottom step.
Dr. Russell didn't even noticed that a stranger was in his basement/laboratory and Quinn felt a little uneasy when he didn't. So she clasped her hands behind her back, coughed gently and said, "Uhm, D-Dr. Russell…?"
She cringed at the minor stutter.
The man's head snapped up, and shiny blue eyes narrowed on the blonde. His greying brown hair was slightly longer than normal, pushed back and tucked behind his ears. He seemed over powering with the way his robe fluttered as he turned to regard her, "Who are you? Why are you in my basement?"
"I'm sorry f-for intruding. I'm Quinn Fabray…I'm a friend of your wife?"
"I never realized Elizabeth had such young friends…"
Quinn bit back the first reply she had in mind which was something along the lines of: You'd know if you actually paid attention to your family, and settled with, "I actually came for medicine, we got talking that way."
"Hm…" Dr. Russell's eyes scanned up and down Quinn's body, "You're not wearing a dress."
"…No I'm not."
"You speak different, also…"
"I-I suppose I do."
Dr. Russell turned back to his cauldron and continued to stir, "Why are you here?" Effectively dropping the subject. Quinn took a long breath with relief.
"Well…I don't mean to intrude, but I've noticed from both Elizabeth and Samuel that they're under a lot of stress without you there."
"I haven't gone anywhere," He replied, honestly sounding like he didn't care.
Quinn bit her bottom lip angrily, "What I mean, is they never see you. They miss you, and with little Mary…"
"What right do you have to comment on my family or myself?" Dr. Russell turned toward the blonde angrily.
Quinn's brow dropped, "Well when your son is sneaking out on a night because he's sick of his mother shouting at him because she's stressed out that her husband isn't even bothering to help raise a newborn baby, I think I have the right to comment."
The scientist stared, and continued to stare. Quinn felt her confident diminish when he sneered, "Get out of my house."
"No!" Quinn sighed, "Look, I'm not trying to be offensive, but your son is really upset. Elizabeth is so exhausted she looks ill!"
"…She does?" Dr. Russell asked through a weirdly quiet voice from his normal booming voice.
Quinn nodded, "She's really tired, Dr. Russell. I'm just saying…maybe if you came up a few hours a day? I know you're working on a new project but a few hours wouldn't hurt right? Samuel and Mary would really appreciate seeing their father."
He seemed to think this through, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up in all the wrong places, "Maybe I have been a little preoccupied of late, and I can't really do anything at the moment without the final ingredient."
"Ingredient?"
"You wouldn't understand, young lady." He chuckled lightly.
"Try me," She challenged him, and enjoyed the way his eyebrows shot up in shock, before a genuine smile graced his lips.
"Really, young lady, you wouldn't understand anything I said." He sighed, "How did you know I was working on a new project? I assume both Elizabeth and my son Samuel told you this?"
The blonde nodded, "They told me you were really busy. Hey, maybe if I helped you find that final ingredient maybe you could spend more time with them."
"Are you being serious, Miss. Fabray?"
"Never been more serious in my life, sir." Her manners came into play, and it seemed to appease the scientist.
"Well, I'm sure a fresh pair of eyes on the search wouldn't be so much trouble."
Quinn jumped for joy mentally, "Okay…so what am I looking for?"
Dr. Russell stepped away from the cauldron, circled it and began to sift through the paperwork on one of the tables that was pushed up against the wall. He flipped pages, scanned them and scrunched some up that they seemed unimportant, "Ah." He picked up a lone piece of paper and stepped toward Quinn to hand it to her.
The paper was a scramble of different words, and what looked like old age algebra that she only vaguely understood. But in the centre of the page was a hand drawn, almost artistically done stone. It was small, around half the size of her palm and part of her wondered why it was so important to Dr. Russell.
"That stone is called the Philosopher's Stone - it is a key ingredient when used in Alchemy."
"Alchemy? You're an alchemist?"
"I'm not just a doctor, no. I'm a doctor of science. Alchemy is my first true love," Dr. Russell sighed, seemingly dragging his feet back to the cauldron to continue stirring, "It seems my new project had taken precedent over my family though. So if you can…find that stone and bring it to me at once," He glanced at Quinn, "Even if I could just have part of the stone…all my years of work will have paid off."
The blonde nodded, "So you just need the stone. Okay. Do you mind if I take this?" She asked, wafting the paper in front of her face.
"Of course, take it, but please return it. The stone is almost a blood red, incredibly rare. You'll know once you see it."
"Okay, sure. Well, when I find it, I'll bring it here as soon as possible."
"If you find it, Miss. Fabray. I've searched for many years for that stone, and I haven't managed to find it yet."
"I have a lot of resources under my belt."
The internet for one, she was sure Google had something on the Philosopher's stone, or where people believed it to be (if it existed). It seemed simply enough. That and she had the PAD at her disposal, and now that Homunculus had given her the chance to travel at will, she could pick the stone up in no time.
But something Homunculus said still haunted her - he had told her to keep an eye out for a stone. He didn't tell her if it was the Philosopher's stone directly, but something niggled away at the blonde to tell her that the two were connected.
"Then I hope you have luck on your side - the stone is very allusive."
"I'll find it," She said with a determination she didn't know she had. She folded the paper neatly and put it in her back pocket to keep it safe, "You have my word."
Dr. Russell chuckled silently to himself, nodding as he looked into his cauldron, "Good luck."
"You spoke to my father?" Samuel asked as soon as she opened the basement door, she jumped back, and narrowly avoided falling down the stairs.
"Yeah," Quinn nodded, walking through into the house and shutting the basement door behind her. Samuel had his book clutched to his chest, eyes wide as he looked up at the blonde, "He said he just needs to find one more thing for his project and then he'll be free to spend time with you guys."
"What thing? Do we have it here?"
Quinn shook her head, "I don't think so. I'm going to help him track it down." She patted Samuel gently on the head, "Trust me, I'll find it and give it to your father."
The little boy nodded, then glanced down to the book against his chest. He seemed to think for a moment before slowly, his arm reached out, hand clutching the book, "Take this."
She took the book, running the pad of her thumb over the cover, "This is a book on alchemy."
"Yes, I took it from my father's room."
"Why are you reading it?" She flipped it open, leisurely flipping through the pages, taking in the different words and diagrams that decorated the thin pages, "Interested in doing what your dad does?"
"I don't know…I'm kind of interested, but not really."
Quinn chuckled, "You're in two minds at the moment?"
Samuel nodded, "Mother says I'm still too young to understand what my father does, and that I'm too young to decide what I want to be when I grow up."
"You're never too young to dream." Quinn paused, her voice low and thoughtful as she continued, "That's what my sister always used to say to me…"
The young boy continued to look up at the blonde, half confused about why she was suddenly staring into space.
Her older sister, Hailey, always seemed to know the right things to say, even when she was younger. Quinn has grown up around her sister's wisdom, until the day she left for college and she never heard from her again. She'd asked her dad many times why Hailey never came home for Christmas, or send her a card on her birthday, no phone calls to just catch up - but he just said she was busy and demand his youngest daughter leave it at that.
She hadn't spoken to Hailey in almost three years, and it was beginning to hurt as the days went on. Her sister's room, still untouched at the back of the house, was almost like a shrine to the girl that no longer visited. Old yearbooks showed the life that Hailey had at McKinley, the life that Quinn was slowly breaking away from. Head Cheerleader, gone. Quarterback boyfriend, didn't matter when you had a growing attraction to a girl you thought you hated. The popularity, while still there, didn't mean to the world to her anymore.
Hailey was the queen bee at school, and wasn't a bitch about it either. From the stories Hailey told her about McKinley, it was a nicer place to have been when she was there. She spoke to everyone - didn't just stick to one circle of friends - she was in drama club, worked on the school newspaper all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, cheerleading and the quarterback boyfriend. It seemed as if she had the perfect life - until she disappeared off to college and was never seen or heard from again.
"Quinn? Miss. Quinn?" She felt the tugging at her shirt and she jumped from her thoughts, "Are you okay?"
"Oh," Quinn nodded slowly, "Yeah…just thinking. Anyway, I should be off, I need to meet a friend."
Samuel nodded, and watched with slightly narrowed eyes as she left, closing the door gently behind her with a click. Then he shrugged, picked his nose and walked off.
"You said three hours moron, it's been almost four." Santana mumbled from her spot outside the manor house gates. She was back to wearing her cheerleading costume, which looked like it was in pristine condition, "I'm not going back to 2011 wearing a curtain, Q."
Quinn nodded and pulled out the PAD, "Sorry I was late anyway, I had a little look around the town. You haven't seen a red stone while you've been here, have you?
"I care about no stone unless it's rockin' on my finger. Now can I please leave? I want a fucking shower."
Quinn just sighed - some things would never change.
"I never thought I'd say this," Santana mumbled through a sigh, "I missed this damn place."
They were stood in front of the old manor house that had been converted into one of Lima's many churches. Quinn couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before.
"It's always good to be back." Quinn replied, stuffing the PAD back in her pocket, "So what are you gonna do first?"
"First, shower - I smell of both putried meat and old man, I want it gone." Now that she'd mentioned it, the smell was a little…over bearing. "Then I'm having serious words with mama about the fact she didn't even notice I was gone."
"What is up with you two anyway? I thought you and your mom were close."
Santana scoffed, scuffing the toe of her sneaker against the sidewalk, "She freaked when I told her something. We've been avoiding each other since."
"What did you tell-,"
"It's none of your fuckin' business, okay?" Santana snapped, then guilty watched Quinn step back in reflex, "Sorry…I told her…" She sighed and lowered her voice slightly, "That I was into girls."
"And she didn't take it well…?"
Santana just shook her head, "She started crying, telling me what she'd done to deserve it, and then just walked out of the room. We hadn't talked for two weeks until that night at Breadstix, it doesn't surprise me she didn't notice that I wasn't there."
"Your mom loves you, no matter what, S. She thinks the world of you."
"Or she did until she found out I liked pussy then couldn't wait to drop me."
Quinn was lucky, she had a mother that actually understood - and even though she hadn't directly come out to her mother, she knew that if she did, her mother would slowly come around to the idea. Quinn knew that Maria Lopez was always shocked when information hit her from no where, and tended to want to regroup before she tackled a subject she had no idea about. Santana would have been cold, forcing her mother further away from her. In a way, it was both of their faults that it'd gone this far.
"Just sit down with your mom, don't be arrogant, just sit and talk. Let her voice her thoughts, then voice yours. It's the easiest way."
Santana scoffed, "Okay, Oprah."
The blonde smirked to herself and patted Santana on the back, "C'mon, you smell like crap. I think my eyes might melt if I have to bare it any longer."
"Oh go fuck yourself." Then walked in silence, "You still need to tell me about Berry."
What was to tell about Rachel Berry? That somehow, over the last few weeks, the feelings that she thought she'd locked away were coming to the surface. Rachel wasn't the little girl that shared her gold stickers with anymore, she was a grown woman, a woman that she'd treat so horribly over the years through fear and rejection. She knew Rachel felt something…the longing looks, the kiss to the cheek, the whispered plea to take care; something was going on between them, but she didn't know how to breach the subject without making herself sound like a total nonce.
"Stop stalling, Blondie. Speak."
Quinn took a long breath, staring down at her feet as she continued to walk, "You'll freak out."
"If my mom is any indication - maybe. But go on."
"I've been spending more time with Rachel. Her and Finn aren't dating anymore, they split up for some reason but they seem to still be friends. Good friends…" Quinn growled gently, "We've been spending a lot more time with one another…I took her to the opening of Funny Girl on Broadway, we talked, I told her about my situation. That's about it."
"Okay, so I'm slightly disgusted you've been spending time with Man Hands, but why would I freak out over it? It's not like you're secretly getting your lovin' on with the hobbit."
Santana's chuckle slowly died, as did her steps, as she watched Quinn slowly continued to walk, head bowed, blonde hair covering flushed cheeks.
"You've been fucking the Hobbit?" The Latina shrieked loudly.
Quinn's head snapped up, and quickly she turned and slapped her hand over her friend's mouth, "Will you shut up? I have not…fucked…Rachel. We haven't even kissed, we've barely hugged, alright? So you're gonna be quiet and I'm gonna let go of your mouth now, okay?"
Santana nodded.
Slowly, Quinn's hand lowered and after watching Santana for several moments, she turned and continued to walk.
"But you wouldn't mind letting her dive into your bush, eh?"
She narrowly avoided the slap.
"Call her," Quinn told Santana as she watched the Latina open her front door, "When you've sorted things out with your mom. She's next on your list."
"Since when do you have the right on giving me dating advice when your latest vice seems to be a midget that speaks way too much?" The Latina asked jokingly, "I'm still freaked out, and it's going to be hard to get used to…but I guess…it's fine with me."
"Thanks, S."
"But I still get to call her Berry. Fine, I can't call her Man Hands or RuPaul 'cos she's your girl all of a sudden, but I draw the line at Berry."
"Fine, Berry is fine." Quinn replied, still blushing that Santana had referred to the diva as her girl.
"Hm," Santana shook her head, "I'm away for a week and the whole world gets turned upside down. You're suddenly a lesbian, Berry isn't pining over Finn…have I entered the Twilight Zone? Because this is the last thing I expected."
Quinn chuckled, "Believe me, I thought it wouldn't happen either."
"Then do yourself a favour," The Latina walked into her house, "Get laid, 'cos the sexual frustration that's vibing off of you right now, is enough to put a hole in the O Zone." And then the door shut.
The blonde stood there, jaw opened slightly, eyes wide as she stared at the closed door. Then slowly, she turned, and mumbled, "Is it that obvious…?"