"I invited Quinn over to my house," Rachel announced happily when she saw Santana and Brittany in glee club.
Brittany squealed with joy and jumped up to give Rachel a hug and a loud smack of a kiss on the edge of her lips, missing most of her cheek completely.
"Hey, hey, uh uh," Santana said sharply, snapping her fingers to get the two girls' attention. Rachel leaned back from Brittany, smiling sheepishly, but Brittany was largely undaunted.
"Sorry San, I just got super duper excited and needed to give Rach a kiss. It's the best news ever!"
Rachel laughed as she sat down with Brittany. "It's great news, and she said yes just now, but I don't know if I'd call it the best news ever."
"No, it so is!" Brittany gushed, and when Rachel still looked doubtful Brittany said, "Quinn's favoritist ever thing is being invited over to people's houses. Well, besides reading. But then she can read at other people's houses and that's, like, everything together."
"It's her favorite thing?" Rachel asked uncertainly. Santana shrugged but Brittany nodded enthusiastically.
"Yup! I think it's cuz she doesn't like her house."
Rachel was very confused by this declaration. Quinn's house was a mansion. Sure, it was kind of… off. But it probably had its own theater and library. "Why wouldn't she like her own house?"
"Because her daddy's mean," Brittany whispered.
Here, Santana nodded agreement. "Straight up asshole."
"Mean…?" Rachel asked anxiously. That was a very troubling thing to say.
"Mhmm," Brittany hummed, and her face grew long with sadness. "When we met Quinn she was all mean and confused about everything. She used really bad words. About black people, about Asian people, about gay people. I think she even knew bad words about Spanish people but she never used them around San. San had to yell at her a lot to get her to stop, but I don't think she even got it before that boy called San a bad word and she got so angry she could have exploded. That's when she really really stopped. But her daddy didn't, and that time we went over to her house all the hate and sad hung all over like ghosts of feelings."
"I kind of thought her dad got to her, when she first cut us off," Santana said sullenly, hate rolling off her in waves. "Like he'd brought her hate all back again. But then she went Skank, and that's so not a Mr. Fabray thing, so her cutting us off was all her. I think." Santana sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fuck if I know. What I do know is that dad of hers is mad toxic with his bigotry and shittiness. We don't like Papa Fabray, it's a rule."
"Only don't tell Q because she gets all uncomfortable and bails," Britt added.
Rachel was quiet as she absorbed this new information. She remembered Quinn's strict time rules when Rachel had gone over to her house for the project and realized that Quinn had been making sure she was out of the house before her dad got home. "So I take it he wouldn't be a fan of a Jewish girl with two dads."
"I can think of at least ten words I heard Quinn once say that her dad would use to describe you," Santana confirmed with a snort. Rachel pursed her lips.
"Oh, but don't worry Rach!" Brittany rushed to assure Rachel. "Quinn likes you, she'd never say so but she'd also never say those bad words about you. Quinn isn't her daddy. She's about a million, billion times better."
Being a million billion times better than a racist bigot like Mr. Fabray wasn't entirely an accomplishment, but Rachel could appreciate and even marvel at Quinn coming out of that household even an inch as nice as she was. Sure, Quinn tried her best to be mean, and she really could be, but she could also be soft and vulnerable and kind. And Quinn was always funny and smart and beautiful. Rachel wondered how someone as amazing as Quinn could come out of that environment. Poor Quinn… she must have had a miserable childhood. And, it occurred to Rachel, a miserable present, since she had given up her friends and chances to go to others houses. Why would she do that?
"Why didn't she ask to come over to mine when I suggested we work together outside of school? If she likes other houses so much?"
"Well… did you invite her?" Brittany asked curiously.
Rachel tried to remember the conversation. It felt so long ago even if it had only been a few weeks. Finally she shook her head. "No, I guess I didn't."
"She probably thought she wasn't invited," Brittany said simply.
"Yeah, Rach, first time I invited her to mine she asked if it was 'really ok' about twenty times," Santana said, using air quotes. She lowered her head, scowling slightly. "Don't think she'd been invited over before."
Rachel felt immediately horrible. She should have invited Quinn over that day! Then she wouldn't have even needed to snoop, she wouldn't have been thrown out for being forward, they could have had an incredible time! She'd been exaggerating, slightly, when she'd told Quinn her dads were dying to meet her, but she'd asked her dads and they had said yes, if a bit hesitantly. Rachel probably shouldn't have told her dads about finding out that Quinn had been the instigator of the Month of Torment. She'd gone home every night crying then. She should have known her dads hadn't forgotten.
Surely she would have eventually found out about the incident with Phillip Ritter some other way besides going over to Kurt's in a dramatic tizzy.
But when would she have mentioned Quinn to Kurt and Mercedes if not for then? She wouldn't have found out about Phillip from anyone but them. And she wouldn't have introduced Quinn the way she had if not for knowing… her bully brigade wouldn't have been formed in the time it had been, kids would still be in danger.
It was all a domino effect. Everything happening the way it had led to this very moment. Rachel wouldn't have wanted things to go on the way they had.
Still, Rachel wished with all her heart that she'd have been able to make Quinn happier sooner. Made Quinn's life better in some way, more than she already might have.
"Will you tell her pretty please that she's always welcome to come over to my house," Brittany pleaded, clasping her hands in front of her and sticking out her lower lip. "Bebe misses seeing Quinn. She loved Quinn." It hadn't even occurred to Rachel that Brittany's little sister Beatrice had known Quinn, too. So many puzzle pieces, and a life that San and Britt had shared with Quinn that Rachel knew nothing about. It almost made her jealous, but only in the sense that Rachel wished she could have been there, too.
"I'll tell her, Britt," Rachel promised.
Brittany danced in her seat excitedly. "Yay!"
Rachel looked at Santana with expectation. "What about you, San? Should I tell Quinn she's invited to yours as well?"
Santana shrugged. "Doubt she'd wanna come over."
"You are so stubborn, San!" Brittany grumbled, or as close to a grumble as Brittany could achieve. "You know Quinn loves Mami Maribel, and Mami asked about all the time before."
"Yeah, well, she's still got some fucked-up issue with me!" Santana countered, throwing up her arms in exasperation. "Some issue with both of us! And I don't have any fuckin' clue what it is. I doubt she'll be coming over for a pajama party."
Brittany's face fell and Rachel put an arm around her in comfort, glaring at Santana. The gesture didn't really stop it from being true. Quinn got agitated around them. "She talks to us now," Brittany tried to argue.
"She talks to us and it looks like it physically pains her. She avoids us most of the time, still. Did you know fucking Queen Latifah over there had a full goddamn conversation with Q and I've barely had three sentences exchanged with the girl? It's annoying and it ain't like I chase after people!" Santana deflated a little. "Not anymore."
"Do you… want me to ask her what happened?" Rachel asked, biting her lip. She planned on asking anyway, but their permission would make Rachel feel less like she was going behind their backs.
"Yes please!" Brittany replied quickly, even as Santana shook her head.
"She ain't gonna tell you shit, R. Her walls will go up and you'll be lucky to see the girl's backside around the school as she runs off."
Rachel's first thought was why did Santana assume Rachel wanted to see Quinn's backside and she blushed when she realized that hadn't been at all what Santana meant. "Like I said before, Santana, maybe there's enough distance from it for her to be willing to talk. I am a neutral party."
Santana cackled at that. "You can't possibly think you're 'neutral', mija. You're the least neutral person about anything ever. And if I know anything about Fabray, it's that she could keep her lips sealed being tortured by the KGB. I have never met anyone more secretive than ice queen Quinn and that includes me when I was in the closet."
Rachel sighed. That definitely seemed true. And if Quinn had been that tight lipped at twelve, an age notorious for loose lips, at sixteen Quinn could be like a fortress to crack.
"Could you still try, Rach?" Brittany asked quietly, hope lacing her voice.
"Of course, Britt."
Brittany brightened, and beside her Santana just sighed.
.
Ultimately, while Quinn hated the idea of meeting Rachel's plural dads and eating rabbit food, Quinn changed her mind for the chance of hours spent out of her house not alone at the library as well as the possibility that the rabbit food would actually taste good. The Berry's were gay, and gay guys were good at all that domestic stuff, right? Was that a stereotype? Quinn wasn't sure but if it was it seemed like an awfully nice stereotype, and Quinn hoped it was true either way. Quinn made a lot of the meals at home. It was expected of her, now that she was the only woman in the house. Before Judy left she'd taught her a few things about domestic bliss, and after Judy left Frannie had been in charge for a while. Despite how much Frannie loathed her little sister, she'd given Quinn the tools to take care of their dad after she went to college.
It was good that Quinn liked to cook. Cooking was calming, but making every meal outside of school lunches was a bit exhausting. And could get especially boring, since Russell liked routine and they had about ten types of dinners they alternated between. Breakfast was even more limited. Usually some combination of eggs and bacon/sausage and pancakes. Something new would be interesting. And it might even give her some ideas. Unless it was foreign food, her dad wouldn't eat anything he didn't consider "American".
Quinn couldn't really imagine enjoying food without a meat base, but maybe the Berrys were magical cooks.
Rachel bombarded Quinn with questions about her taste in musicals on Friday. Quinn didn't have any answers, because she'd never really given musicals much consideration. Rachel decided to try for a variety, starting with Funny Girl. Quinn had never heard of it. Rachel had been personally offended.
Quinn told her dad she was going to the library, which hadn't surprised him since she spent most Saturdays out. Russell spent most of his Saturdays playing golf or going to the country club, so he never missed her or anything. But he expected dinner when he got home, no matter if he showed at 6 on the dot or 8:30.
And it might be cool, going over to a… "friend's" house again, after all this time. Days at Santana's during middle school had been some of the best days of her life. She'd never seen a whole lot of Santana's dad (which was a blessing considering Quinn's relationship with fathers), but Maribel Lopez had been amazing. The kind of mother Quinn had always wanted. The Lopez house had been Quinn's favorite place for a long time. Brittany's house came after the public library, if only because Brittany's dad was around a lot and that added a level of unease that made it harder for Quinn to relax.
Two dads though… that didn't really bode well for relaxation.
.
Quinn arrived at exactly 11. Punctuality was important in the Fabray household. It was bad etiquette to arrive too early or too late. And the 'too' in that statement meant any amount of time before or after the indicated time. Die her hair pink and wear all leather and Quinn was still her father's daughter.
Rachel flung open the door before the doorbell had finished its toll. Rachel grabbed her hand and pulled her in. "I'm so glad you could make it!" Rachel babbled, leading her through the small foyer and past the living room into her kitchen. As they walked Quinn looked around. The Berry house was nothing short of beautiful. Warm and bright, pictures of all three Berrys plastering every surface. Every corner radiated love. It made Quinn's skin itch.
Mr… and Mr. Berry were in the kitchen. They both smiled upon seeing Quinn, but Quinn could tell instantly they weren't as happy to see her as they wanted their daughter to think. Quinn's stomach churned and she unfocused her eyes to stare past them as Rachel introduced them. What had they heard? Did they know she was Russell Fabray's spawn, the Russell Fabray? Did they know she'd bullied Rachel, however briefly? Or was it how she looked?
Or maybe, all of the above.
"-but you can call them by their first names because it gets confusing and all my friends do," Rachel finished, pushing Quinn forward a little to greet the Berry men. Both men appraised her with critical eyes even as they smiled their brightest. The one with spectacles finally extended his hand. "Hiram Berry," he said, his name dragging out of his throat with some effort. It was clear he didn't want her using his first name. Quinn took his hand and shook it. The other Mr. Berry took Hiram's place.
"Leroy," he rumbled, and when he shook Quinn's hand he squeezed a little too hard. Quinn didn't make a peep, schooled as she was to keep her mask in place.
"It's nice to meet you," Quinn said softly. "Thank you for allowing me into your lovely home."
Hiram and Leroy exchanged a perplexed look. Clearly she wasn't quite what they'd expected. Quinn kept her gaze on their foreheads as she looked at them to keep from staring into mistrustful eyes.
Rachel finally seemed to pick up on the tension and she stepped forward to place a hand on Quinn's shoulder. "Quinn's never tried vegan food! It will be her first time! Daddy, can I ask you to come with me to the pantry, we've run out of Spike."
Leroy followed his daughter, leaving Hiram and Quinn stood awkwardly in the kitchen. As soon as they were tucked away in the pantry, Rachel stomped her foot. "What was that about?"
"Honey, I'm just not comfortable having a girl who bullied you in our house."
"That was years ago! I shouldn't have even told you!"
"It doesn't matter how long ago it was, Rachel! She hurt my baby girl."
"Daddy," Rachel said, looking to see if Quinn was nearby as she lowered her voice. "That's not her. I don't think it ever was. I didn't want to- to worry you, but Quinn is Russell Fabray's daughter."
"I'm aware," Leroy replied coldly. Leroy Berry wasn't one to judge people by their parents, but if the apple didn't fall far from the tree…
"No, daddy, listen. She's Russell Fabray's daughter, and I didn't know what that meant until recently. She has to work twice as hard not to be like him, and she does it! She stopped a bully herself!"
"Yes, by punching him," Leroy argued.
"Daddy! You told me once that children living in houses where hate is preached are brainwashed. That it's no better than mental abuse! Does that not apply to a girl who hurt me once and has since become my friend?"
Leroy quailed, looking chagrined. He'd forgotten, in his outrage for his daughter, that being brainwashed into intolerance was a form of abuse. Filling children with hatred, against their wills, it was nothing short of evil. Evil disguised as parenting.
Leroy knew Russell Fabray, knew how root-deep malignant the man was.
Quinn Fabray had never stood a chance.
Maybe it was time she was given one.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Leroy apologized sincerely, feeling a spike of pride that his good-hearted daughter had called him out. "I'll be better, I promise."
"Thank you Daddy," Rachel said, flinging her arms around her father. Daddy had been the one she'd had to talk to. Dad was a pushover. Dollars to sugar-free donuts he had already softened to Quinn while they were gone.
And sure enough, when Rachel and Leroy returned Hiram was explaining the vegan vegetable stir fry to a fascinated Quinn. He showed her the pan as Quinn looked on, explaining enthusiastically about cooking time, temperature, and oils. Rachel smiled, she hadn't known Quinn liked to cook. So did Rachel! She'd inherited the love from her Dad.
The lunch went amazingly well considering the rocky start. Quinn, who was still visibly anxious, eased into cooking talk with Hiram, and then book talk with both of her fathers. Quinn was exceptionally well read, naming books and essays that Rachel had never heard of. Reading was, as far as Rachel could tell, Quinn's one true love. Just like singing was Rachel's. It made sense, Rachel privately thought, because reading was a tried and true form of escapism. It made sense that Quinn was able to shake off a lot of her father's teachings if she was reading things left and right that contradicted him.
Hiram was easily won over by Quinn, who had clearly learned a lot about etiquette and charm in her house. When Hiram commented on her manners, she explained that her mom had thought that manners were important. It surprised Rachel to hear about Quinn's mom. She had just assumed that Mrs. Fabray had died early on, there weren't any pictures of her in Quinn's room. Rachel really didn't know anything about Quinn. Every time she was reminded of this, Rachel felt uncomfortable. Asking was rude, and possibly something younger Rachel would have done. Young Rachel had struggled with tact. Hanging out with Santana and Brittany and becoming more used to engaging with people had only improved Rachel's social skills, but it also prevented her from finding out information that she once would have tried to pry out of people.
After lunch, Rachel took Quinn down into the Berrys renovated basement, complete with small stage and mic stands. "It's for Rachel Berry performances, whether planned or impromptu," Rachel said with a laugh. Quinn just smiled, still shy. Rachel sat Quinn down in a chair and walked over to her CD player, turning it on and making sure it was on the first track. "Now, I'm going to explain the plot of Wicked to you, using the soundtrack!" Quinn had to laugh. This is what Rachel had planned for their afternoon? It was… sweet. Completely dorky.
"Now, Wicked is one of the best musicals of all time, unfortunately it hasn't been made into any sort of movie that I can more easily show you. After this we can watch Funny Girl, but because Wicked is that important, I have to do it this way," Rachel explained matter-of-factly.
"Usually, I play Elphaba and Brittany plays Glinda, or she does so long as I can get her to focus, but it generally falls apart around Popular because Brittany gets too excited and tries to kiss me and Santana, who refuses to play any role, will get angry and storm onto the stage which is very unprofessional. I've tried to explain to Brittany that Glinda and Elphie are just friends but Brittany says that isn't true. To be fair the subtext says they could be more, but they never act on it within the actual play and Elphaba is in love with Fiyero, but Brittany doesn't care. Santana got extremely mad at me the first time we did Wicked and I had to explain all this to her." Rachel smiled when she noticed Quinn doubled over in laughter. "Either way it's really fun, and we've done in three times since freshman year, but we've never gotten through it. This time I definitely will as a solo act, even though I'll have to play all the characters!"
"You realize I have no idea what any of those names mean, Berry," Quinn said, face still tinted pink with laughter.
"All in due time, my dear," Rachel bubbled enthusiastically, and she turned on the Wicked soundtrack.
Rachel narrated explanations as the soundtrack played, jumping into character whenever any of the main characters started to sing, jumping around the stage in absolute ecstasy. Quinn leaned back and watched, a small smile on her face the whole time. Rachel Berry was made for the stage. She never missed a beat and her face was flushed with the joy of the story. Quinn found herself drawn into it even though she'd never known anything about it beforehand, growing fond of Elphaba the Wicked Witch and G(a)linda the Good. During the last song, Rachel started crying on the stage with the emotion of it, and Quinn felt a tugging of sadness as the story ended. Rachel breathed hard as she came back out of the story, looking down at the stage, then just as quickly her head was back up and she was beaming.
"Did you like it?" Rachel asked hopefully, still panting a little and glistening with a sheen of sweat. Quinn felt herself blush at the sight. She was truly something.
"It was good. I might have to find some of those songs."
"Defying Gravity," Rachel said, nodding sagely.
Quinn laughed. "Yes, that. Also the last one between Elphaba and Glinda."
"For Good!" Rachel gushed.
Quinn nodded. "Some of the others, too, I think."
"I'm so glad you liked it!" Rachel exclaimed, jumping off the stage and closing the distance between them. "It's incredible."
"Mmmm," Quinn hummed, eyes crinkled with amusement. "Did you say there was a book?"
"Yes!" Rachel confirmed. "I must warn you they're vastly different, but the book is fantastic. Much more serious, more adult in content."
"I'll have to get it from the library, then." Quinn stood, running her fingers through her hair.
Rachel grinned. "That's great! Did you have a favorite?"
Quinn smiled a little. "Elphaba."
Rachel nodded, not surprised in the slightest. It occurred to her, Quinn and Elphie had a lot in common. It was shocking, really, because with that realization came the thought that, while Rachel always thought of herself as the Elphaba of her story, in the current situation she was pretty clearly the Glinda to Quinn's Elphaba.
It was sort of a jarring thought, because it made Rachel's position in her life come into question.
Brittany would tell them to just kiss.
Rachel banished the thought, and she took Quinn's hand to lead her back up to the Berry living room to watch Funny Girl.
That fanfiction downtime was such a motivation killer, especially since I'd been having trouble with this chapter already. I'm not exactly "stuck", but what's happening is that I know what happens in a few chapters time, and this is more or less "filler" that is coming to me just as I write it.
Next chapter should be more Quinn bonding with other glee members (specifically some of the boys). Thank you as always for your reviews, they mean so much to me and really keep me going!