Prompt: A Moment of Weakness, by StarGleekBelle

Character: Quinn Fabray

Word Count: 721

Date: 9/12/2012


Quinn had spent a year burying the pain inside. The nightmares of her daughter being ripped away were forgotten before morning. She poured her longing into Finn and Sam and even Puck. She tried to fill the incredible empty void she felt in the deepest recesses of her heart with the love and acceptance of people and things that in the end would mean absolutely nothing to her. And she tried to forget the tiny piece of herself that was now growing outside of her, away from her, completely out of reach.

She was successful too. That was until she went running one day the summer before her senior year. As she always did, she passed the park full of children screaming with delight and parents watching and waiting for the slightest hint of trouble. But this time she saw a tiny blond haired girl, barely walking. Her mother was behind her, ready to catch her when she fell. And in that instant, it all came rushing back.

Under the bleachers with Sheila, Ronnie and the Mack, she remembered that day and the pain that exploded inside her. As she puffed on her cigarette Shelby's words raced through her head. She was going to lose her daughter for good this time, just as she believed there was a chance of getting her back. She didn't want to feel anymore. The only thing she wanted was the pain to go away. She was tired of being strong, of fighting. Without Beth there was nothing left to fight for.

"Give me those pills," she grunted at the Mack. Since she'd started hanging with the Skanks she'd accepted their offers of cigarettes and alcohol. But she'd always turned down the pills.

"Listen girls, Fabray's finally ready to grow up!" the leader taunted with a grin, shaking the pill bottle in front of Quinn's face.

"It doesn't make me a grown up, idiots," she grunted swiping them from the Mack's hand as the girls all laughed. It would make her numb and that was all that mattered. She opened the lid and poured three pills out onto her hand. She knew the girls did more but it was her first time and she wanted to be free, not dead.

She went to pop the pills into her mouth, but a strong hand hit her own, knocking the pills to the ground. The hand grabbed hers and pulled her away from the bleachers and over to the stairs of the school.

"What the hell are you doing Quinn?" Puck shouted as he held her wrists so she couldn't run.

She tried to pull away but his grip was too strong. "I just need to forget it all!" she cried. Anger, frustration, sadness and pain all spilled out and her tears flooded. "I can't think about her anymore!"

"Quinn, we don't have to lose her," he told her desperately. "But if you keep doing stupid things like this we both will."

"I don't care Puck!" She broke free from his grasp but she was small and his arms were long, and they immediately embraced her, holding her tight.

"I know you care," Puck whispered in her ear as she sobbed in his arms. "I know you care and I am not going to let you throw it all away. You are not that weak, Quinn." He kissed her on the head, and squeezed her tightly. "You are the strongest girl I know."

She looked up into his eyes. As always they were warm and loving but hard to trust. Still she wanted to. "I'm just so scared," she admitted with shaky breath.

"Being brave isn't not being scared," he told her. "It's being scared and doing it anyway. Or something like that," he shrugged. "I know I heard something like that somewhere."

It made her laugh and she shook her head. "I think I heard something like that once too," she told him with a small smile that was only ever for him.

"Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading her to the parking lot. "Let's get you home and get back the Quinn Fabray that I know and love."

"You mean Bitch Fabray?" she teased as she wiped her eyes dry.

"Yes," he said laughing at her smeared mascara. "That's exactly who I mean."